Anitra L. Jones-Summerville, a 42-year-old African American woman from Memphis, Tennessee, was reported missing by her family on April 6, 2017, after not being seen for a week. The search for her came to a grim conclusion on April 10, 2017, when her decomposing body was discovered in the trunk of her own car. The vehicle had been repossessed and taken to a towing company in Horn Lake, Mississippi, where employees made the shocking finding.
An autopsy later determined that Anitra's death was a homicide caused by multiple gunshot wounds.
The investigation into her death quickly focused on her husband, Melvin Summerville, who had a documented history of domestic violence against his wife. Detectives learned that Summerville had been the last person to see Anitra alive. A significant breakthrough in the case came when a friend of Summerville's came forward, telling investigators that Summerville had confessed to killing Anitra and had even provided details about how he committed the crime. Further evidence was uncovered through phone records, which showed that Summerville had returned to the location where the car was abandoned within 24 hours of the murder.
Based on the evidence gathered, Melvin Summerville was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. In November 2018, his case went to trial. After deliberating for less than an hour, a jury found him guilty of the first-degree murder of his wife, Anitra Jones-Summerville. Following the verdict, he was automatically sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The case was handled by the Shelby County District Attorney's Domestic Violence Prosecution Unit, which works to bring justice to victims of domestic abuse.
