Detective Hindman circulated the mans photo around the sheriffs department and found out, within minutes, that the man on the video was a local drug dealer named Timothy Gifford. On July 1st, Megan made plans to meet with her family for dinner, but calls to cancel after an unexpected job interview presents itself. Tullahoma Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Erika Megan Sharpton. Theyve been very supportive. Aunts Anne Hale, Laurie Weeks, and Lisa Sharpton. But she seemed to know that putting her daughter's killer in jail wouldn't be enough. Erika Megan Sharpton, 24, of Tullahoma, Tenn., was killed around July 2 and her body was found burning off of Awalt Road by a paassing motorist in Franklin County, Tenn. On almost the exact. On Friday, Kelly Elizabeth Hale Sharpton took her own life in a Chattanooga hotel. Donnie Jones, 37, of Tullahoma, has been charged with first-degree murder in July 2 death of Megan Sharpton, 24, also of Tullahoma. Relatives werent that concerned about the sudden change of plans. Megan F. Fortney, 42, of Bellwood, died unexpectedly Saturday morning at Penn Highlands Healthcare Tyrone. Officials at Arnold Air Force Base are asking local residents to prepare accordingly for some possible traffic disruptions this month due to upcoming large deliveries to the base. It would be nice if I could tune in a little closer, yea, it would help a great deal. And thats where we felt like she was murdered.. It's not a word for families and victims. Staff writer Tim Omarzu contributed to this story. She thought that there were no bad people, just people that made bad choices sometimes and she thought they all deserved the same fair chance. Maybe Kelly Sharpton couldn't bear the pain any longer. The fire was started after someone raped and murdered her. 26 Feb Feb Edit Search New Search Filters (1) To get better results, add more information such as Birth Info, Death Info and Locationeven a guess will help. High 74F. Ms. Sharpton was a Graphic Designer at A.E.D.C. Are You Eligible To Claim The IRS Savers Credit? People who knew Megan at the steakhouse where she worked were devastated by the news. When the power goes out, it affects more than just your ability to watch TV or read with the lights on. She gave everybody the same benefit of the doubt. According to the Investigation Discovery show, authorities believed that Megan was lured to a place where she was raped before being killed, following which, Donnie poured fire accelerant on her privates and set her body on fire. [Featured Image by Zack Frank/Shutterstock]. In November 1998, Brady was found guilty of the first-degree murder of Officer Martin Ganz, and the jury sentenced him to death in 1999. Chance of rain 100%. In 2012, nursing student Megan Sharptontold relatives she was on her way to a job interview. Gordon Pinsent, award-winning Canadian actor, dies at 92,Gordon Pinsent, an award-winning Canadian actor acclaimed for his performance as a heartbroken husband in the film "Away From Her," has died at 92. Thats the chronology of the crime in an unfolding time lapse. And on Friday, the mother took her own life in a Chattanooga hotel.Kelly was a graphic designer at Arnold Air Force Base.Her daughter's accused killer, Donnie Jones Jr., faces first-degree murder, kidnapping and rape charges, and pleaded guilty. Siblings Caroline (Michael) Taylor, Alex Sharpton, Will Sharpton, Cameron (Lindsay) Sharpton, and Leah Sharpton. Death notices are submitted by regional funeral homes. She worked as a graphic designer at AEDC. "Justice is kind of a funny word," Kelly Sharpton said. For more on this case and others like it, stream episodes of "An Unexpected Killer" here. Sharpton eulogized George Floyd in Minneapolis after he died while in police custody in May 2020. The case seemed to hit a wall, but then the autopsy report came back and revealed a shocking detail: it was a gunshot wound to the face that killed Megan. Lady Frights Emporium will present St. Patricks Extravaganza, taking place at the Rotary Park and Amphitheatre on Saturday, March 18th, featuring live music, craft vendors, food trucks, games and more. Pain of daughter's death too much for Tullahoma mom, Man charged with slaying student pleads guilty, Mostly cloudy daytime with strong storms tonight, Man shot at local fast food early drive-thru Sunday morning, Zero calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, Man dies pleading for help after unknowingly driving into Tennessee River, Merchants on Main will close just before their 13th anniversary, Primrose School of Hixson had complaints dating back at least three years before broken leg complaint, CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Train crashes into stuck flatbed truck in Ringgold, UPDATE: First responders and community members honor the life of Whitfield Co. 911 dispatcher killed in I-75 crash, Three students charged following assault at Sequatchie County Middle School, UPDATE: Former business manager of local church pleads guilty to federal fraud charge, Chattanooga City Council approves 1,000 ft. buffer zone of short-term rentals, Judge Curtis Collier: from dirt roads and segregation to the federal bench. I don`t know.. Kelly Sharpton dies after daughter kidnapped and killed chattanooga times free press 23K subscribers Subscribe 39 7.2K views 9 years ago In a tragic story, the mother of a nursing student whose. After going to the press to talk about her daughters memory and fighting to have Donnie Jones arrested for the murder, Kelly Hale Sharpton died. At times during interviews with the Times Free Press, Kelly Sharpton was strong, other times wracked with pain. On July 1st, Megan made plans to meet with her family for dinner,. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.tullahomafuneralhome.com. Megan was that kind of kid, Kelly Sharpton said at the time. She was later identified as 24-year-old Erika Megan Sharpton of Coffee County. Governors preliminary budget includes purchase of Coffee County megasite, PublicSq., a Leading Values-Aligned Marketplace, to Go Public via Combination with Colombier Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: CLBR), Shocking development at Hands-On Science Center, Local businesses awarded for service to community, Alzheimers Tennessee daytime support group meetings, Tullahoma Sangha at Unitarian Universalist Church of Tullahoma, Tullahoma Winter Shelter locations and hours, 10963 Old Tullahoma Rd, Tullahoma, TN 37388, 4772 Old Manchester Hwy, Tullahoma, TN 37388. The funeral was held just two days after former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted in the death of George Floyd and amid a national reckoning on racism and policing. The man in the video was identified to be drug dealer Timothy Gifford whom the police immediately brought in for questioning. Your basement may flood if the sump pump goes out, and you may need to rel. Megan was supposed to drop by her familys house that day (a Sunday, July 1st), since her sister was in town. It's what society needs to do to close this and walk away.". Tullahoma Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Erika Megan Sharpton. Read more from our news partners at the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. who wins student body president riverdale. November 13, 2013 at 1:00 a.m. In a tragic story, the mother of a nursing student whose life was brutally ended last year has been found dead.24-year-old Megan Sharpton was raped and killed, her body found set on fire along a road in Franklin County last year.In the months since, 47-year-old Kelly Sharpton of Tullahoma struggled with the loss of her daughter. According to WZTV FOX 17, police learned that Donnie Jones wife knew Megan. James Dellinger. In the months since her daughter Megan, 24, was raped and killed, her body set afire alongside Awalt Road in Franklin County, TN, the grief-stricken mother had struggled to cope. Her death was a mystery. She was going to nursing school and had a really bright future. She is survived by her parents, Maurice and Margaret Hale of Tullahoma; her children, Carrie (Michael) Taylor, of Huntsville, and Alex and Will Sharpton, of Tullahoma; her fianc, Don Cornelius, of Tullahoma; a sister, Anne S. Hale and her companion Laurie Weeks, of Albuquerque, N.M.; a brother, David G. (Kelsey Vaughn) Hale, of Seattle; her grandchildren, Chlo Taylor, Sophia Shelley and Gavin and Garrett Taylor; and aunts Brenda (Orville) Glenn, Jane Sherborne, Melissa Birdsong and Susan Harrell. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. ", "I live in South Africa and got to know Kelly on a fellow-grieving mothers' page. There are no events scheduled. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. Uncles David (Kelsey) Hale and Alex Sharpton. Megan didnt have an eye for danger. Your email will not be used for any other purpose. Tullahoma, TN- Donnie Frank Jones, Jr, the primary suspect in the rape and murder of Megan Sharpton the evening of July 1, 2012, has been indicted for her rape and murder today in Franklin County, TN.. Additional arrests are expected in this case. Authorities pulled 11 or 12 surveillance videos of burner phone sales around the time of the murder, and one of them caught their eye, a man with an off demeanor who clearly already had a phone and was buying a burner phone. All Rights Reserved. Though Chris initially described a good relationship with Megan, his story soon started to unravel, and he admitted that their relationship became strained near the end. But when detectives arrived they found the smoldering corpse of a dead female. Authorities were also successful in recovering Megans car, which was found abandoned a few miles away from where her body was found. Uncles David (Kelsey) Hale and Alex Sharpton. SSW winds shifting to NW at 10 to 15 mph. "We're waiting for him to get the expert mental evaluation done," Taylor said. Al Sharpton, has pleaded guilty to multiple federal charges. Sharpton, of Tullahoma, was pronounced dead at Erlanger hospital of an apparent suicide, though the case is still under investigation, according to Officer Tim McFarland of the Chattanooga Police Department. Several puzzling elements of the crime are presented to the detectives working on Ms. Sharptons case. But soon after making plans, Megan called to explain that a last-minute job interview had come up and that shed meet with them whenever she was able to. Initially, the police had multiple leads in the investigation, and they even looked at Megans boyfriend as a suspect. Hours later, Megans body was discovered burning on the side of the road. Tullahoma Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. Eugene Brennan, 93, of Stillwater, died January 25, 2023. Did he walk, possibly hitchhike, or did he have access to another vehicle? Why was she set on fire only from her navel down to her feet? All rights reserved. She would go to the back streets of Ann Arbor and visit with these people and she was probably 15 years old, and I was telling her, you can`t just wander around the back streets, but she said but mommy, he needs a friend, he needs somebody to talk to. Hours later, her body was discovered on fire on the side of aroad. "I wake up in the morning and I see my dead daughter's face," she said in the first weeks after Megan's July 2012 murder. All of us who followed Megan's story will continue to carry Kelly's message to young women everywhere. Reached at home this evening, Kelly Hale Sharpton, Meg's Mother, declined comment until tomorrow morning. Recommend Erika's obituary to your friends. Even with him denying the murder, authorities did not give up but depended on GPS tracking from the phone to figure out Donnies whereabouts. In fact, her family had no idea what had happened to her that night. 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