Jackson Free Press logo

This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
Note that any opinions expressed in legacy Jackson Free Press stories do not reflect a position of the Mississippi Free Press or necessarily of its staff and board members.

HERNANDO, Miss. (AP) — A 27-year-old man, who also faces a murder indictment in Louisiana, has pleaded not guilty in the 2014 burning death of a Mississippi woman.

Quinton Tellis entered his plea Friday in the death Jessica Chambers.

Panola County District Attorney John Champion said charging Tellis ended a lengthy investigation into the grisly burning death of the 19-year-old, who died hours after being found near her burned-out vehicle on a road not far from her home.

The Louisiana murder indictment, returned earlier this month, alleges shallow knife wounds on Meing-Chen Hsiao’s face and body probably were inflicted to get her to reveal the pin number for her debit card before he killed her.

He was extradited to Mississippi from Louisiana last month after pleading guilty to fraudulent use of the woman’s card.

Since 1846, The Associated Press has been breaking news and covering the world's biggest stories, always committed to the highest standards of accurate, unbiased journalism. The Associated Press was founded as an independent news cooperative, whose members are U.S. newspapers and broadcasters, steadfast in our mission to inform the world.