Kendra Scott, a 36-year-old mother from Memphis, Tennessee, has been charged with first-degree murder after allegedly shooting and killing a man she found hiding under her teenage daughter's bed. The incident occurred in the early hours of July 16, 2026, when police responded to reports of a shooting at Scott's home on an undisclosed street.
Details of the Incident
According to an arrest affidavit, officers arrived at the scene at approximately 1:40 a.m. and found Rodderius Morton, 20, lying unresponsive in the front yard with a gunshot wound to the back of his head. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The affidavit states that Scott's 13-year-old daughter told police she had invited Morton to the family home around 1 a.m. Scott arrived home about 30 minutes later and became enraged, banging on the front door and shouting, "Who's at my house?"
The teen eventually let her mother inside, where Scott allegedly found Morton hiding under her bed. Scott reportedly shouted, "Get out of my house bitch," and followed him outside. A neighbor then reported hearing a gunshot. The neighbor told police he came outside and saw Scott, still holding a gun, standing by Morton's body and saying, "I shot him, I shot him." Officers recovered one spent shell casing on the front porch and a Smith & Wesson black handgun, according to court documents.
Legal Proceedings and Defense
Scott was charged with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm. She is currently being held without bond, with her first arraignment hearing scheduled for July 24. Scott's lawyer, Blake Ballin, told local media, "One of the key questions in this case will be whether anyone could act rationally in this circumstance." Ballin also described the situation as "the worst nightmare of any parent of a 13-year-old girl."
Scott allegedly told police, "I saw a dude under my kids' bed, and I did what I had to do." The teen told police that Scott had previously warned her that if she "sees a boy in my house I will put a hole in his a**."
Castle Doctrine Considerations
Retired police officer and firearm self-defense trainer Buddy Smith told Action News 5 that the case may not qualify under Tennessee's Castle Doctrine, which protects individuals from criminal prosecution or civil liability if they use reasonable force against an intruder. The legislation allows a person to "protect the people in your residence when someone breaks in to commit a violent felony against you or someone in your house." However, Smith noted, "The affidavit does not allege that [Morton] threatened the mother or anyone else at that time. Those alleged facts will likely be important issues for the court, and ultimately the jury."
