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Kendra Scott is charged with first-degree murder
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A Tennessee mother is accused of killing a man she allegedly found under her 13-year-old daughter’s bed
Kendra Scott is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Rodderius Morton
Scott allegedly told police “I did what I had to do”
The Tennessee mother accused of fatally shooting a man she found under her daughter’s bed is charged with first-degree murder. But can she claim self-defense?
Kendra Scott was arrested in connection with the shooting that occurred on July 16 in Memphis.
According to an arrest affidavit previously reported by PEOPLE, police found an unresponsive man, later identified as Rodderius Morton, lying in the front yard “suffering from a gunshot wound to the back of his head.”
Scott, per the affidavit, told officers that she came home and “saw a dude under my kid’s bed.”
“I did what I had to do,” she then allegedly told police.
Scott’s child told police that they had invited Morton into the home at about 1:20 or 1:30 a.m., according to the affidavit.
The juvenile told police that Scott previously said that if she “sees a boy in my house I will put a hole in his ass,” the affidavit claimed.
Court records indicate that Scott is charged with first-degree murder. She appeared in court on Monday, July 20, and was granted a $100,000 bond, WMC reported.
The outlet previously spoke to retired law enforcement officer and self-defense expert Buddy Smith, who reportedly said currently known details might not support a self-defense claim.
“The affidavit does not allege that he threatened the mother or anyone else at that time, and those alleged facts will likely be important issues for the court, and ultimately a jury,” he told WMC.
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WREG spoke to Robin Perkins, who identified herself as Morton’s former special education teacher and claimed he had “special needs” and that she didn’t think the encounter needed to result in his death.
“Because the young man that I knew, most people, based off this story they don’t know the young man like I did,” Perkins told WREG. “I do not condone his actions of going and mingling with a 13-year-old ... I found out last night from his sister that no one knew that he was gone from the house.”
In a statement to PEOPLE, Scott’s attorney, Blake Ballin, said the incident “started with the worst nightmare of any parent ... “One of the key questions in this case will be whether anyone could act rationally in this circumstance.”
Read the original article on People
