Rodderius Morton, 20, was shot and killed in the Walker Homes neighborhood of Memphis in the early morning of July 16, 2026. Police responded about 1:50 a.m. to the 3000 block of Travis Road and found Morton outside a residence with a gunshot wound to the back of his head; he was pronounced dead at the scene. A former teacher described him as kind, respectful, and cognitively impaired.

Investigators focus on 36-year-old resident Kendra Scott. Police say Scott returned home, found Morton hiding under her 13-year-old daughter’s bed, and a verbal confrontation followed after the daughter had invited Morton into the house. The daughter told police Morton gathered his belongings and left the bedroom; as he was leaving the property a single gunshot was heard. A neighbor reported seeing Morton near the front porch and Scott in the yard holding a gun and saying she shot him. Scott was arrested at the scene and charged with first-degree murder and employing a firearm during a dangerous felony; she was held without bond pending her initial court appearance.

Prosecutors are expected to argue Morton was retreating and no longer a threat when shot. Does anyone have information about Morton’s movements that night or who else might have seen what happened?