Jessica Chambers Death Investigation Update: Investigators Raise Award to $18K as Some Suspect Mississippi Teen Was Going to a Women's Shelter
Panola County investigators have increased their reward to $18,000 in the hopes that cold hard cash will lead them to the arrest of Jessica Chambers' killer.
Chambers was discovered walking from her burning vehicle on Herron Road in Courtland shortly after 8 p.m. on Dec. 6 by emergency responders, FOX 13 reports. EMTs said over 98 percent of her body had been burned. She was able to speak with firefighters before dying at a local hospital. The investigation so far has revealed that Chambers was doused with a flammable liquid and set on fire.
Since the local police are not speaking about evidence or details surrounding Chambers' murder, Internet sleuths are compiling information and providing it to investigators and the public. They have raised an interesting theory: Jessica was on her way to Leah's House that night she was killed. Leah's House is a "safe place" for adult women who deal with addiction, behavioral problems, depression and other issues.
The Conservative Treehouse reports it has been confirmed Chambers went to Leah's House for "support, restoration, healing and comfort." Jessica's father, Ben Chambers, verified she had recently stayed at a "women's shelter" after experiencing a relationship of "domestic violence." In addition, the Inquisitr posted photos of Chambers at Leah's House recently.
"Investigators in the Jessica Chambers case are reportedly exploring the possibility that someone might have aggressively confronted the teenager at a gas station a week before her death," WREG reports.
This coupled with the new information has ignited hope that a motive and suspect will be known soon.
While authorities continue their investigation and wait for DNA evidence, the Chambers family waits for answers.
Ben Chambers works for the sheriff's department but is unable to take part in his daughter's investigation.
"They don't want me to see the evidence up there. I understand their point too; they're looking out for my benefit," he told The Associated Press. "They don't want me to see things that bring back memories, or see something that maybe I'll think someone had something to do with it and I'll go do something to some innocent person. They're doing everything by the book when it comes to me."
Ben said officials have questioned people who "normally know everything about everything," but no one seems to know anything about Chambers' murder, which he described as "amazing and unbelievable."
Authorities are tight-lipped, saying little more than that they are making progress.
Investigators are close to identifying "possible people of interest that could lead us somewhere better than where we are," Panola County Sheriff Dennis Darby told The Clarion-Ledger.
A task force has been created for Chambers' case, which includes investigators from the State Fire Marshal's office, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, the Firearms and the U.S. Marshals Service and the FBI.
Darby said investigators expect to receive the DNA analysis in the coming week and hope to get the fire analysis reports soon.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-729-2169.
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