Mary Tarr, a 20-year-old woman from Charlotte, NC, was tragically killed on August 22, 2016. The incident occurred in the early hours of the morning on Pineville-Matthews Road at Baybrook Lane. Mary Tarr and another woman, aged 24, were found in a car that had been involved in a fatal crash. Both women had been shot, and Mary Tarr was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other woman was taken to Carolinas Medical Center with serious injuries.
The investigation quickly led to the
identification of Jalen Marquise Anderson, a 23-year-old man who was in a personal relationship with both female victims. Jalen Anderson was arrested and charged with murder, attempted murder, and discharging a firearm into occupied property inflicting serious bodily injury. His brother, Jerron Rashad Anderson, aged 24, was also arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder in connection with the shooting.
Mary Tarr's adoptive mother, Maria Rosario, described her as a beautiful girl who was loved by many. Rosario confirmed that Jalen Anderson was dating both Mary Tarr and the other woman involved in the shooting. Friends of Mary Tarr had warned her to stay away from Jalen Anderson, but she was in love with him and did not heed their warnings.
In April 2017, Jalen Anderson accepted a plea deal, admitting to murdering Mary Tarr in exchange for a reduced sentence. He was sentenced to at least 20 years in prison for second-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon. Mary Tarr's mother, Wendy Francosky, begged the judge not to accept the plea deal, expressing the unbearable turmoil her family was going through. Francosky described how Jalen Anderson and his brother had chased Mary Tarr and the other woman like animals, firing more than a dozen shots into their car.
The case against Jerron Anderson was set to go to trial in February 2018. Mary Tarr's family hoped for a different outcome in his trial, seeking justice for the devastating loss of their loved one.
