She was 47. Kelly Sharpton was the mother of Megan Sharpton, whose burned body was found July 2, 2012, at Awalt Road in Franklin County. Tullahoma - The world has lost it's brightest star. pic.twitter.com/WeN8vEqm, Tanya Reeves (@reeves_tanya) September 28, 2012, Mothers Fight To Put Killer Behind Bars Ends In Her Own Tragic Death. A time of death placed the murder occurring before midnight. Maybe Kelly Sharpton couldn't bear the pain any longer. 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. At times during interviews with the Times Free Press, Kelly Sharpton was strong, other times wracked with pain. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. She'd been sexually assaulted and set on fire. 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. On July 1st, Megan made plans to meet with her family for dinner, but calls to cancel after an unexpected job interview presents itself. Megan passed away on May 26, 2022. Kelly Elizabeth Hale Sharpton, age 47, of Tullahoma, passed away Friday, November 8, 2013 at Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga. Ms. Sharpton was a Graphic Designer at A.E.D.C. He was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison. "It is apparent that she tried so hard to carry on after Megan's passing, but the pain was relentless. 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. READ MORE | Man charged with slaying student pleads guilty. Where did the perpetrator get the gasoline (or whatever accelerant was used?) Even with him denying the murder, authorities did not give up but depended on GPS tracking from the phone to figure out Donnies whereabouts. Her mother, Kelly Hale Sharpton, was beside herself with grief. Franklin County Sheriff Tim Fuller said that Donnie Jones has been arrested in connection with the case. 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. From there no one knew what could have happened to Megan. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Megan Camp and Katrina Wachs are organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Sara Sharpton. Megan was born to Timothy and Donna Laxton on August 8, 1993. Jeffrey's sister reported the couple missing on August 7 . But she seemed to know that putting her daughter's killer in jail wouldn't be enough. Visitation with the family will be held Tuesday, November 12, 2013 from 4:00PM till 7:00 PM at Tullahoma Funeral Home. 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 Fly free our angel mom.". Are You Eligible To Claim The IRS Savers Credit? On Friday, Kelly Elizabeth Hale Sharpton took her own life in a Chattanooga hotel. According to the Times Free Press, the pain of her daughters death was too intense. Donnie initially denied contacting Megan and even denied getting a burner cell. 25 days since this terrible homicide, and no suspects are yet emerging. Visitation will be Friday, July 6, 2012 from 5-8 pm. After searching the property, police found a burn barrel. Where is Donnie Rudd Now? The Circumstances of Megan Sharptons Murder are Incredibly Bizarre! Known for her lively and happy-go-lucky personality, Megan was also dating Chris, with whom she had an on-again, off-again relationship for three years. On July 1st, Megan made plans to meet with her family for dinner,. Prosecutors eyed the death penalty. Now you have to suffer another loss.". Her sister, Carrie Taylor, immediately voiced her suspicions to police, pointing the finger at Megans boyfriend of three years, Chris. Sharpton's body was found on the side of the road near Winchester, Tennessee. A celebration of her life will follow at a later date. You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or plant a tree in memory of Erika Megan Sharpton. 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. Guilty plea, sentence stand in Megan Sharpton murderhttp://t.co/NYuu6UI2Z7 pic.twitter.com/QDSMs4sEMp, The Tullahoma News (@TullahomaNews) November 6, 2014, Murder Comes To Town: Tullahoma Nursing Student Vanishes, Found Dead. (Times Free Press) - Maybe Kelly Sharpton couldn't bear the pain any longer. The young girl also wanted to pursue a nursing career and was actively looking for job offers as her college was coming to an end. Tullahoma, Tennessee, isnt the first place that comes to mind when considering a murder, but in the early morning hours of July 2, 2012, a grisly discovery would be made. All rights reserved. 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. Megan Sharpton Obituary - Death, Cause Of Death, Funeral: We learned about the passing of Megan Sharpton.click to read and leave tributes.. All Death, Burial, Cemetery & Obituaries results for Megan Sharpton. Not that the perpetrator was particularly clever in the ways he attempted to cover up what hed done, but rather a certain level of diabolical desperation and deliberation is present. John Kays identifies timeless remnants from our past that will endure, or be admired by future generations. Your email will not be used for any other purpose. He. Nieces Chloe' Taylor, Baylee Sharpton, and Lizzy Sharpton. Megan was born on October 24, 1987 in Tullahoma, TN and died there July 2, 2012. It seemed like the fire was set to her private parts, and the victim even wore a nursing school uniform which was completely burnt. "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. Megan Sharpton According to her mother and sister, Megan was due to have dinner with her family on the evening before her body was found. By the spring of 2015, Jeffrey and Jeanette were mapping out their retirement, according to "Killer Couples," airing Fridays at 8/7c on Oxygen. According to the autopsy report, Megan was sexually assaulted before the murder. Rachel Noerdlinger says Sharpton will fly to. She was a compassionate, caring soul, and planned a career in nursing. 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. According to the authorities, killer Donnie Frank Jones Jr., set Megans body on fire just 10 minutes before the motorist came upon the scene. 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. Many cousins, great aunts, and great uncles. The amazing Erika Megan Sharpton was torn from us July 2, 2012, age 24. After his arrest, Donnie Jones Jr. was eager to cut a deal with authorities wherein he confessed to the murder in exchange for prosecutors leaving out the death penalty. He reported it immediately believing that it was a grass fire. In an interview with CNN, Kelly Hale Sharpton discussed her daughters love for people. A Tennessee man charged with killing a Tullahoma nursing student has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to life in prison without parole. Al Sharpton has died. A celebration of her life will follow at a later date. Thats my call, and another call is that she knew her killer, if only vaguely. DNA and CODIS linked the murder of Megan Sharpton to an ex-con named Donnie Frank Jones Jr., according to the website Blink On Crime. Copyright 2023, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Inc. There are other aspects of her case that are highly unusual, as well. Authorities were also successful in recovering Megans car, which was found abandoned a few miles away from where her body was found. "Justice is a word for this world. The circumstances of Erika Megan Sharpton's death (which has been ruled a homicide) are quite unusual. She was very loved by her family, her friends, and the whole community. 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. Both are right, however, in saying that the unknown killer wanted her body (and her purse and car) to be found. Investigation Discoverys Murder Comes to Town: Answering the Call chronicles the horrifying murder of Megan Sharpton and how an intense police investigation drew the case to an end. 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. 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. It would be nice if I could tune in a little closer, yea, it would help a great deal. She further stated that Megan was her classmate, and she had never contacted her with a job offer. 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. According to her mother and sister, Meganwas due to have dinner with her family on the evening before her body was found. His spokeswoman says Ada Sharpton passed away early Thursday morning in Dothan, Ala., following a long battle with Alzheimer's disease and dementia. "Justice is kind of a funny word," Kelly Sharpton said. She was a graphic designer at the U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Complex. In April, standing on the very spot where Megan's body was found, Kelly Sharpton spoke about her struggle to find justice and meaning in her daughter's death. Ms. Sharpton was born in Milan, TN to Maurice and Margaret Stepp Hale. Kelly Sharpton of Tullahoma, the mother of murder victim Megan Sharpton, meets with reporters outside the Coffee County Justice Center in Manchester in October 2012. 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. Her death was a mystery. Cloudy skies. Person of interest in the Megan sharpton case, may he finally get his. your email below for our complimentary daily grief messages. Tullahoma Funeral Home's online guest book was flooded with condolences from friends, co-workers and other grieving mothers who knew now that another mother, Kelly's, was grieving, too. Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, February 1st, 2023 with burial following in Fairlawn Cemetery. Megan Sharpton Death - Obituary | Cause Of Death - Dead - Dies | Died - Passed Away | Click to Read and Leave Tributes. Parents Kelly Hale Sharpton and Don Cornelius, Jr. Grandparents Maurice and Margaret Hale. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. When the power goes out, it affects more than just your ability to watch TV or read with the lights on. Nieces Chloe' Taylor, Baylee Sharpton, and Lizzy Sharpton. You have permission to edit this article. You'll enjoy AD-FREE access to our site as long as you are a paid subscriber. She was active in grief groups that put her in contact with grieving mothers like herself all over the world. E-Book Overview Poultry Science, Chicken Culture is a collection of engrossing, witty, and thought-provoking essays about the chicken-the familiar domestic bird that has played an intimate part in our cultural, scientific, social, economic, legal, and medical practices and concerns since ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. 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. Read More: How Did Noreen Kumeta Rudd Die? 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. Megan was born on October 24, 1987 in Tullahoma, TN and died there July 2, 2012. turkey club sandwich nutrition Uncovering hot babes since 1919.. judge faith twin sister. Sharpton's 1995 Ford Mustang was found the same day on Three Forks Bridge Road in Bedford County. ", "As a fellow grieving mother, I understand the pain she was in. It's not a word for families and victims. There was a lot of speculation in the town between Coffee and Franklin Counties. Shine on our starry girl. Authorities quickly put a BOLO alert out for Megans car, as they had yet to account for it. Low 57F. There was DNA recovered, whichwas sent to the crime lab for testing, offering investigators a glimmer of hope. www.tullahomafuneralhome.com. She was 47. She is preceded in death by her daughter, Megan Sharpton. Parents Kelly Hale Sharpton and Don Cornelius, Jr. Grandparents Maurice and Margaret Hale. SSW winds shifting to NW at 10 to 15 mph. 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. 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