Kendra Scott, a 36-year-old mother from Memphis, Tennessee, has been charged with first-degree murder after she shot and killed a 20-year-old man she discovered hiding under her 13-year-old daughter's bed. The incident occurred just before 2 a.m. on Thursday, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by The Post.
Details of the Incident
Scott arrived home around 1:30 a.m. and found the man, identified as Rodderius Morton, under her daughter's bed. She told officers, "I saw a dude under my kids' bed. And I did what I had to do." The daughter had invited Morton to the home around 1 a.m. When Scott arrived, she pounded on the front door and shouted, "Who's at my house?!" The daughter, who became terrified upon seeing her mother holding a gun, later told police that Scott had previously said if she "sees a boy in my house I will put a hole in his ass."
The Shooting
After the daughter let her mother in, Scott allegedly found Morton under her bed and screamed, "Get out of my house bitch," following him out the front door. The daughter and a neighbor then heard a gunshot. The neighbor reported seeing Scott standing by the body, still holding the gun, and admitting, "I shot him, I shot him." Officers recovered a spent shell casing on the front porch and a Smith & Wesson black handgun.
Legal Charges and Response
Scott was charged with first-degree murder and employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony. Her lawyer, Blake Ballin, described the situation as "the worst nightmare of any parent of a 13-year-old girl" and noted that "one of the key questions in this case will be whether anyone could act rationally in this circumstance."
Castle Doctrine Considerations
Retired law enforcement officer and firearm self-defense trainer Buddy Smith told Action News 5 that the circumstances likely do not qualify under Tennessee's Castle Doctrine, which protects individuals using reasonable force against intruders. Smith explained that "the affidavit does not allege that Morton threatened the mother or anyone else at that time," making those facts important for the court and jury.
