Jessica Quarles is being held without bond after an Obion County grand jury returned murder and child abuse charges.
KENTON, Tenn. — A Tennessee mother has been indicted on murder and child abuse charges after her two young children were found shot to death June 13 inside a home in Kenton, state investigators said.
Jessica Quarles, 32, was arrested June 29 after an Obion County grand jury returned an indictment in the deaths of 1-year-old Landrie Harris and 11-year-old McKenna Young. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said Quarles is the children’s mother and was identified during the investigation as the person responsible for their deaths. She is being held without bond in the Obion County Jail as the case moves into court.
The investigation began June 13 at a residence in the 300 block of Jan Lynn Street in Kenton. Authorities said Landrie and McKenna were found dead from gunshot wounds inside the home. Quarles was also found there with stab wounds and was taken to a Memphis hospital in critical condition. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation joined the case at the request of 27th Judicial District Attorney General Colin Johnson, working with Kenton police and the Obion County Sheriff’s Office.
The indictment charges Quarles with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder and two counts of first-degree felony murder. She also faces one count of aggravated child abuse, neglect or endangerment involving a vulnerable child, and one count of aggravated child abuse, neglect or endangerment involving a child age 8 or younger. Investigators have not publicly released a full timeline of the shooting, a possible motive or details about how Quarles was injured.
Kenton Mayor Danny Jowers said soon after the deaths that two children were dead and their mother was in serious condition at a hospital. He said he would not release more details because the investigation was ongoing, but described the home as a crime scene that first responders would not forget. The Kenton Fire Department also said the neighborhood was locked down while emergency crews and investigators worked at the scene.
The case drew public grief before charges were announced. A candlelight prayer vigil was held at Parsons Regional Community Park for Quarles and the two children after the shooting. At that time, authorities had not announced an arrest. The later indictment shifted the case from a death investigation to a criminal prosecution, with state investigators saying the charges came after agents reviewed the circumstances surrounding the children’s deaths.
Officials said the charges are accusations, not proof of guilt. Quarles is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Prosecutors have not announced a court date, and no attorney for Quarles was publicly identified in the early reports. The next steps are expected to include formal court proceedings in Obion County, where the indictment was returned.
The case remained active Tuesday, with Quarles jailed without bond and investigators saying the children’s deaths occurred inside the Jan Lynn Street home. No additional arrests had been announced.