But Megan Sharpton never made it. Jones had also been accused of rape in the past. 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. Gifford was brought into the station for questioning but seemed eager to defend himself: He said he purchased the burner phone for a man named Donnie Jones. You'll enjoy AD-FREE access to our site as long as you are a paid subscriber. (Times Free Press) - Maybe Kelly Sharpton couldn't bear the pain any longer. Through surveillance footage, investigators followed the unknown mans movements to the stores exit and out to the parking lot, where the customer approached a red pickup truck. According to the Times Free Press, the pain of her daughters death was too intense. With an acceptance of this scenario, the purse location is event one, the burning of the body, 5 miles away, is event 2, and the red Mustang left on the bridge, 16 miles away, is event 3. In fact, her family had no idea what had happened to her that night. She was 47. Don't be angry. 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. Milan - Kelly Elizabeth Hale Sharpton, age 47, of Tullahoma, passed away Friday, November 8, 2013 at Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga. High 74F. "I wake up in the morningand I see my dead daughter's face," she said in the first weeks after Megan's July 2012 murder. Ms. Sharpton was a Graphic Designer at A.E.D.C. By the spring of 2015, Jeffrey and Jeanette were mapping out their retirement, according to "Killer Couples," airing Fridays at 8/7c on Oxygen. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. When the power goes out, it affects more than just your ability to watch TV or read with the lights on. John Kays identifies timeless remnants from our past that will endure, or be admired by future generations. Funeral Home website by. She was 47. Glasgow, 57, entered guilty pleas Friday to tax evasion,. Jones was arrested in Nov. 2012, four. He was the son of the late . Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, February 1st, 2023 with burial following in Fairlawn Cemetery. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Megan Bratton's passing has been publicly announced by Covey, Allen & Shea Funeral & Cremation Service in Wilmington, VT.Legacy invites you to offer condolences and share memories of Megan in She mattered to us all. Investigators brought their attentions back to the job offer that Megan told friends and family about on the evening of her murder. "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. She was a compassionate, caring soul, and planned a career in nursing. Ahntastic Adventures in Silicon Valley Any of these sketches will work. 'We're losing control of our own children,'" he continued. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. 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. Your basement may flood if the sump pump goes out, and you may need to rel. Edit your search or learn more. While police waited for the results, which would take weeks, they arrested Donnie Jones on gun charges related to a rifle they found in his vehicles trunk. READ MORE | Man charged with slaying student pleads guilty. On Sept. 30, 2006, at . Parents Kelly Hale Sharpton and Don Cornelius, Jr. Grandparents Maurice and Margaret Hale. The amazing Erika Megan Sharpton was torn from us July 2, 2012, age 24. (No Ratings Yet) Uncles David (Kelsey) Hale and Alex Sharpton. can stop at any time. Her killer was Donnie Frank Jones Jr, who was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for her rape and murder. Erika "Megan" Sharpton, also known as Megan Sharpton, was a Tennessee woman who was found dead and burning in what was thought to be a grass fire five years ago. "No family should have to endure so much pain. Megan was born to Timothy and Donna Laxton on August 8, 1993. As long as the community is safe, Im satisfied. It led us to believe thered been a sexual assault, Franklin County Sheriff Tim Fuller told producers. 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. On Friday, Kelly Elizabeth Hale Sharpton took her own life in a Chattanooga hotel. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. You have permission to edit this article. ", "As a fellow grieving mother, I understand the pain she was in. 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. This is a distinct possibility! Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. And the way the crime was covered up, or made to look, it would seem as if he had done this sort of thing before. Why not take the car to a less obvious place to get rid of it? Police gathered that Megan had been sexually assaulted or raped and had suffered blunt force trauma as her skull had visible dents. A few storms may be severe. It wont make up for what Ive lost. Read more from our news partners at the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Tullahoma wrestlers brought home hardware this past weekend as four Wildcat grapplers medaled in the state championships. The circumstances of Erika Megan Sharpton's death (which has been ruled a homicide) are quite unusual. She mattered to us all. 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. Some commented on the "why" behind Kelly's death. But in August 2015, those plans came to a shocking and abrupt halt. Donnie Jones initially denied any involvement in the case. www.tullahomafuneralhome.com

. In an interview with The News last fall, prior to Jones arrest and conviction, Kelly Sharpton said she understood the publics frustration with the amount of time it took law enforcement authorities to arrest Jones, but said she was confident the case was being handled properly. Enter Megan was that kind of kid, Kelly Sharpton said at the time. Unable to disprove this, authorities had no choice but to let Donnie walk. 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. She was a graphic designer at the U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Complex. Her car was found the same day in another location near Three Forks Bridge. With this in mind, I would think, after killing her, he would have to go to a gas station and purchase the gas, if not the can. 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. Death notices are submitted by regional funeral homes. But then the results of the DNA collected from Megans body came back to detectives: Itwas a match to Donnie Jones. Kelly Elizabeth Hale Sharpton, of Tullahoma, died Friday, Nov. 8, at Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga. Ms. Sharpton was born in Milan, TN to Maurice and Margaret Stepp Hale. Tullahoma Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Erika Megan Sharpton. Frustrated and running out of leads, investigators looked to a GPS analysis of the phones belonging to Megan Sharpton, Donnie Jones, Timothy Gifford, and the burner phone. Erika Megan Sharpton, also known as Megan Sharpton, was a Tennessee woman who was found dead and burning in what was thought to be a grass fire five years ago. what happened in the end of submergence what happened in the end of submergence In the early hours of Saturday morning, unspeakable tragedy struck Moore County as MCHS Senior Isaiah Petty was killed as the passenger in a single car crash on the highway just down from the high school. 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. However, a dark and sinister tale of murder emerged from the embers when the police discovered that it was a womans body on fire. Megan Sharpton, 24, was a resident of Tullahoma, Tennessee, and was a couple of months away from earning her college degree. Donnie Jones pleads 'not guilty' on murder charges in the death of Megan Sharpton. For more on this case and others like it, stream episodes of "An Unexpected Killer" here. Over the years, Roger Hoan Brady had appealed his death penalty but was always turned down. 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. We are trying to help Sara and her family with medical and living expenses. However, Donnie was ultimately convicted of first-degree murder. Unsolved Murder in Houstons Bayou City: Was Phillip Liases Death an How the Law Protects Some Sexual Abuse Perpatrators, Credit Washing Scheme: Houston Credit Repair Owner used Fake Identity-Theft Reports, Violent Crimes On the Rise In Denvers Capitol Hill Neighborhood, Valentines Day is Almost Here, Watch Out For Romance Scams, Lawless Los Angeles, Lawlessness of Which I Am a Victim. Davis Wants to Talk to You in Teaser for Peacock Series (VIDEO), LOOK INSIDE: Read the 2023 Tullahoma Chamber of Commerce publication, LOOK INSIDE: Read the latest Local Living 2023 publication, LOOK INSIDE: Read the 2023 Medical Update publication, LOOK INSIDE: Read the Holiday Cookbook 2022 publication, LOOK INSIDE: Read the 2022 Breast Cancer Awareness Publication, LOOK INSIDE: Read the 2022 Fall Home Improvement Guide, Ask an expert: 7 most common questions about automatic home generators, One A Day: Small Daily Acts of Self-Care Go a Long Way to Health, Get Ready for Spring & Summer Backyarding: Keep Safety in Mind. Naturally, if she didnt know her killer, we might apply the ubiquitous serial killer theory. Theres a fit here also, if a naive and caring Ms. Sharpton, say, picked up a ragged hitchhiker of some kind. "It is apparent that she tried so hard to carry on after Megan's passing, but the pain was relentless. She was very loved by her family, her friends, and the whole community. 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. All rights reserved. There are other aspects of her case that are highly unusual, as well. Megan's car, a red 1995 Ford MUstang, was found near Highway 64 on Three Forks Bridge Road. Megan Camp and Katrina Wachs are organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Sara Sharpton. However, her mother was always concerned for her because she was naive and too trusting. The fire was started after someone raped and murdered her. A celebration of her life will follow at a later date. The circumstances of Erika Megan Sharpton's death (which has been ruled a homicide) are quite unusual. ", "I live in South Africa and got to know Kelly on a fellow-grieving mothers' page. 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. Uncles David (Kelsey) Hale and Alex Sharpton. Experts fall on both sides of the fence in this matter. Im no psychic, but if I could concentrate a little harder, Im nearly seeing who did this to Megan Sharpton and why they did it too! Both are right, however, in saying that the unknown killer wanted her body (and her purse and car) to be found. Then their communication stopped where police later found Megans car. Tune into Murder Comes To Town this Friday, March 31, at 10/9 p.m. Central on Investigation Discovery. 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. On Friday, Kelly Elizabeth Hale Sharpton took her own life in a Chattanooga hotel. Kyle, 27, lived there with his girlfriend, Jennifer Valiante, 31. 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. And for a second time. He was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison. 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. Nobody should have to suffer the loss of a child. It's not a word for families and victims. But while waiting to interview Chris, Bedford County personnel called detectives with a lead: theyd found Megan Sharptons vehicle parked on a country road, about 15 to 20 miles from the crime scene where her body was found in Franklin County. 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. The 87-year-old mother of the Rev. Low 57F. Megan Sharpton Death - Obituary | Cause Of Death - Dead - Dies | Died - Passed Away | Click to Read and Leave Tributes. In retaliation, Donnie allegedly used intimidation to detract attention away from him. Megan was supposed to drop by her familys house that day (a Sunday, July 1st), since her sister was in town. Siblings Caroline (Michael) Taylor, Alex Sharpton, Will Sharpton, Cameron (Lindsay) Sharpton, and Leah Sharpton. Hours later, her body was discovered on fire on the side of aroad. Chris Brown scooped two top prizes, beating the likes of Beyonce, Lizzo and Drake. When confronted with the DNA evidence, Donnie switched gears and alleged that he and Megan had a consensual sexual affair. 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. According to the boyfriend, the recommendation for the new job came from a former nursing school classmate of Megans named Naomi. And thats where we felt like she was murdered.. From there no one knew what could have happened to Megan. Moreover, Megans purse was found 5 miles away from where her body was dumped, which was then set on fire. Sharpton eulogized George Floyd in Minneapolis after he died while in police custody in May 2020. The best true crime content was murdered.. from there no one knew what could happened. 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