Known for her starry tattoos and her favorite pink purse, Megan Sharpton was a beautiful person, a caring young lady who had a big heart for people who were downtrodden in life. Agents from the TBI and investigators from the Franklin County Sheriff's Department spent July 4 gathering evidence in connection with the murder of 24-year-old Erika Megan Sharpton of Tullahoma, who He pleaded guilty in February 2013. Its interesting that he brutally killed Megan, but when it came to his own life, he wanted to spare it. Kelly Sharpton was the mother of Megan Sharpton, whose burned body was found July 2, 2012, at Awalt Road in Franklin County. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. All Rights Reserved. Many cousins, great aunts, and great uncles. With the case deepening into a mystery, the police looked into the number Megan received the call from and found it to belong to a burner cell. 2017-2023 Tribute Archive. The episode pertaining to Megan Sharpton is titled Answering The Call. IDs Murder Comes To Town is a riveting crime series that analyzes cases that have happened in small towns. On a Saturday in late March, Kelly Sharpton was joined by friends and family members at the site where Megans body was discovered to dedicate a memorial in her daughters honor. I knew of her. In addition, he denied ever talking to Megan outside the time he drove Megan and his wife to school and denied ever receiving a burner phone from Gifford. This is a distinct possibility! Ms. Sharpton was born in Milan, TN to Maurice and Margaret Stepp Hale. But soon after making plans, Megan called to explain that a last-minute job interview had come up and that she'd meet with them whenever she was able to. Low 57F. Megan Sharpton was supposed to go to her mothers home to see her sister who was visiting from out of town. She was a graphic designer at the U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Complex. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Ms. Sharpton was a Graphic Designer at A.E.D.C. After his conviction in Oregon, Brady was extradited to California, where he was put on trial for Officer Ganz's death. We know she met with her boyfriend after speaking with her mother, but he went to work, so he has a good alibi and has been cleared by the Franklin County Sheriffs Department. She was 47 years old. Megan was born on October 24, 1987 in Tullahoma, TN and died there July 2, 2012. 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The two were classmates the year before, and Naomi said she didnt care for Megan, although she notedon one occasion, her husband drove them to clinicals. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.tullahomafuneralhome.com. Megan mentioned she would try to hook up with a possible patient (Megan was a nursing student), an elderly lady, I believe. In the beginning, the quest for justice kept Kelly Sharpton going. Currently, Donnie Jones Jr. is serving time at the Northeast Correctional Complex in Johnson County, Tennessee. Megan F. Fortney, 42, of Bellwood, died unexpectedly Saturday morning at Penn Highlands Healthcare Tyrone. We are trying to help Sara and her family with medical and living expenses. 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. Strode Funeral Home and Cremation. Parents Kelly Hale Sharpton and Don Cornelius, Jr. Grandparents Maurice and Margaret Hale. Jim was born on March 8, 1930 in Atlanta, GA. 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. Megan Camp and Katrina Wachs are organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Sara Sharpton. (No Ratings Yet) The autopsy further confirmed the rape but determined that Megan had died after being shot in the face. An arrest has been made in the case of a Tullahoma nursing student whose burned body was found in July. to the family or plant a tree However, Donnie was ultimately convicted of first-degree murder. Donnie initially denied contacting Megan and even denied getting a burner cell. Most glaring to those on the scene was the blunt force trauma to the womans head.You could actually feel the broken bones in the skull, said Detective Todd Hindman. Jones was arrested in Nov. 2012, four. Where is Donnie Rudd Now? Despite this,Chris denied ever hurting Megan. We would like to offer our sincere support to anyone coping with grief. Hello! Many cousins, great aunts, and great uncles. Nieces Chloe' Taylor, Baylee Sharpton, and Lizzy Sharpton. It was like something youd see off a movie, George Dyer, Franklin County Sheriffs Office detective, toldAn Unexpected Killer, anOxygen series. The Great Sets Season 3 Premiere: Elle Fannning & Nicholas Hoult Return in First Look (PHOTO), Frasier: Bebe Neuwirth to Reprise Role as Lilith in Paramount+ Revival, Ed Sheeran announces only UK shows of 2023, 'I'd never wish that on anyone' The celebrities who regret their child star past, Scott Mitchell: I used to talk to Dame Barbara's illness before she died, Mrs. Tullahoma Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Erika Megan Sharpton. She was active in grief groups that put her in contact with grieving mothers like herself all over the world. Sharpton's body was found on the side of the road near Winchester, Tennessee. With her sights set on a promising career in the nursing field and with her boyfriend, Chris, at her side, it seemed she had everything going for her. Person of interest in the Megan sharpton case, may he finally get his. The circumstances of Erika Megan Sharpton's death (which has been ruled a homicide) are quite unusual. She worked as a graphic designer at AEDC. On Friday, Kelly Elizabeth Hale Sharpton took her own life in a Chattanooga hotel. who wins student body president riverdale. Prosecutors eyed the death penalty. Megan Shannon's passing on Tuesday, February 1, 2022 has been publicly announced by Graham-Dunn Funeral Home - Carrollton in Carrollton, KY.Legacy invites you to offer condolences and share memories o Enter All Rights Reserved. If you are intrigued to know more and want to find out where the perpetrator is today, we have got you covered. Sara was initially admitted into the hospital on Aug 17th for an emergency hernia repair. With evidence piling high against Donnie Jones Jr., he was arrested and indicted with two counts of aggravated kidnapping, first-degree murder, and two counts of aggravated rape. Next, the GPS data mapped Donnies phone, Megans phone, and the burner to the location where authorities believed Megan was raped and killed, and then finally to the site where two people found Megans body burning. Megan Sharpton, 24, was a resident of Tullahoma, Tennessee, and was a couple of months away from earning her college degree. I cant thank Franklin County Sheriff Tim Fuller and Investigator Todd Hindman enough. Rachel Noerdlinger says Sharpton will fly to. DELLINGER, Jr., James Ray James "Jim" Ray Dellinger, Jr., age 92, passed away on Friday, January 27, 2023. He reported it immediately believing that it was a grass fire. Staff writer Tim Omarzu contributed to this story. Shine on our starry girl. Naomi claimed not to know about the job offer. She was very loved by her family, her friends, and the whole community. your email below for our complimentary daily grief messages. If Megan hadnt lost her life, I feel very confident that Donnie Jones would still be out, trying to trick young women, said Megans sister, Carrie. Im not gonna get caught up in what happens to him. Moreover, authorities also managed to recover DNA evidence from the victims body and sent it in for testing, hoping it would lead them to the killer. 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. All of us who followed Megan's story will continue to carry Kelly's message to young women everywhere. In retaliation, Donnie allegedly used intimidation to detract attention away from him. John Kays identifies timeless remnants from our past that will endure, or be admired by future generations. For more on this case and others like it, stream episodes of "An Unexpected Killer" here. 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. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.tullahomafuneralhome.com. On Friday, Kelly Elizabeth Hale Sharpton took her own life in a Chattanooga hotel. Police discovered that the phone used to lure Megan with a job interview was an unregistered burner phone. Visitation with the family will be held Tuesday, November 12, 2013 from 4:00PM till 7:00 PM at Tullahoma Funeral Home. She loved her family dearly and supported many of us through our ups and downs as we did her. [Jones] essentially killed them both, said Detective Dyer. She is preceded in death by her daughter, Megan Sharpton. We cherish the time we had with our Megan and are grateful for the breadth and variety of experiences we were able to share in her tragically abbreviated life. James Dellinger. To send flowers www.tullahomafuneralhome.com. Megan was a goal-oriented woman whod worked her way through school and was just two months shy of graduating college. She has finally found the peace that was so allusive [sp] during the last sixteen months. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Any of these sketches will work. Experts fall on both sides of the fence in this matter. 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. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. In 2012, nursing student Megan Sharptontold relatives she was on her way to a job interview. pic.twitter.com/OAt6Wxm7, The Tullahoma News (@TullahomaNews) November 16, 2012. Then their communication stopped where police later found Megans car. She was a compassionate, caring soul, and planned a career in nursing. "Justice is kind of a funny word," Kelly Sharpton said. Jones had also been accused of rape in the past. I will always hate your choice, but I will always love you and your fierce bravery. He was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison. The victim was nude from the waist down. Cloudy skies. | Updated November 13, 2013 at 12:27 p.m. Megan Sharpton's accused killer, Donnie Jones Jr., 37, faced first-degree murder, kidnapping and rape charges and pleaded guilty on Feb. 4, 2013, in Franklin County Circuit Court. We will miss her dearly and feel for her family. Glasgow, 57, entered guilty pleas Friday to tax evasion,. But where did Megan go after leaving her boyfriends? Unable to disprove this, authorities had no choice but to let Donnie walk. As long as the community is safe, Im satisfied. Uncles David (Kelsey) Hale and Alex Sharpton. Police gathered that Megan had been sexually assaulted or raped and had suffered blunt force trauma as her skull had visible dents. A third scenario, is that he returns to his own house (in her Mustang) and picks up an accelerant previously purchased. Most importantly, he was the husband of Naomi Jones, the former classmate of Megans. It seemed to be a dead-end, as Naomi Jones said she wasnt close with Megan. In an interview with CNN, Kelly Hale Sharpton discussed her daughters love for people. He could have taken her body much deeper in the woods, but rather chose to leave it in a clearing, off the side of the road, where it would be easily discovered. Kyle, 27, lived there with his girlfriend, Jennifer Valiante, 31. Megan promised to be back later, while Chris went to work at a local department store from 5:00 p.m. to midnight. In this Apr 19, 2013, photo, Kelly Sharpton wears a bracelet that reads, "Shine on my starry girl, " in remembrance of her daughter Megan Sharpton. However, when the foreign DNA on the victims body matched Donnies, the latter claimed that he had consensual sex with Megan and was not involved in her death. In fact, her family had no idea what had happened to her that night. And thats where we felt like she was murdered.. It seemed like the fire was set to her private parts, and the victim even wore a nursing school uniform which was completely burnt. 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