SerpApi.Org
The Memphis Police Department arrested and charged a 36-year-old woman on July 17 after she fatally shot a man she found under her teen daughter’s bed. Kendra Scott was alarmed to find 20-year-old Rodderius Morton inside her family home. According to investigators, the woman shot him outside her home and then defended her actions as something any concerned parent would do.
During the investigation, Scott’s daughter alleged that she was the one who invited Morton into their home. The teen revealed that her mother arrived and started bellowing and pounding on their front door. The 13-year-old said she was alarmed when she found her mother armed with a gun. The Memphis Police Department has now charged Scott with first-degree murder, along with other felonies.
Mom Shoots Man Under Teen Daughter’s Bed
When police officers found Morton dead from a gunshot wound to the back of his head outside Scott’s home, she already had a defense for her actions. According to her arrest affidavit, she told officers, “I saw a dude under my kids’ bed. And I did what I had to do.”
On the other hand, Scott’s teen daughter said her mother demanded “Who’s at my house?!” as soon as she returned home. She pounded on the door and yelled until Morton showed himself. The teenager further said that her mother had once told her, “If I see a boy in my house, I will put a hole in his a**.”
Woman Arrested As Gunfire Kills Intruding Man
According to Scott’s arrest affidavit, the daughter let her mother inside the house, after which she yelled at Morton saying “Get out of my house b—-”. She then followed him out the front door. But it was not long before her daughter, as well as a neighbor, heard gunfire outside.
According to the neighbor, the woman had shot Morton and was still holding the gun. The 36-year-old stood next to the man’s body and admitted her actions, saying, “I shot him, I shot him.” At the time of her arrest, officers found an empty shell casing on the front porch of Scott’s house. A Smith & Wesson black handgun was also recovered from the scene.
Besides murder, Scott was also charged with possessing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony. She has been held in custody and will appear in court on July 20.
Her defense attorney, Blake Ballin, said, “This incident started with the worst nightmare of any parent of a 13-year-old girl. Predictably, it ended in tragedy. One of the key questions in this case will be whether anyone could act rationally in this circumstance.”
Major Loophole In Scott’s Defense
In the wake of the shooting, a retired law enforcement officer alleged that Scott’s defense would likely not qualify under Tennessee’s Castle Doctrine. Buddy Smith said the law allows a person to protect people in their residence when someone breaks in to commit a violent felony.
Smith then added that in Scott’s case, there was no evidence that Morton posed any threat to her or her teenage daughter. He said, “The affidavit does not allege that [Morton] threatened the mother or anyone else at that time. Those alleged facts will likely be important issues for the court, and ultimately the jury.”
In the meantime, a neighbor expressed surprise at the shooting. Speaking with the press, the individual said, “She seemed like a real nice lady. All I can say is that it hurts that someone was in there with one of her little girls.”
