In the early morning hours of July 16, 2026, a 20-year-old man named Rodderius Morton was shot and killed in the Walker Homes neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee. Police responded to a call about a shooting in the 3000 block of Travis Road at approximately 1:50 a.m. Upon arrival, they discovered Morton outside a residence, having sustained a gunshot wound to the back of his head. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Morton was described by a former teacher as being kind, respectful, and cognitively impaired, which may have affected his understanding of the situation he was in.
The investigation into Morton's death quickly centered on 36-year-old Kendra Scott, the resident of the home where the shooting occurred. According to police reports, Scott returned home to find Rodderius Morton hiding under her 13-year-old daughter's bed. Investigators later learned that the teenager had invited Morton into the house shortly before her mother's arrival. Scott, allegedly armed with a firearm upon entering the home, discovered Morton and a verbal altercation ensued. She reportedly ordered him to leave the house.
According to the daughter's statement to the police, Morton complied with Scott's demands, gathered his belongings, and left the bedroom to exit the house. As he was leaving the property, a single gunshot was heard. A neighbor reported hearing the shot and seeing Morton near the front porch, while also witnessing Scott in the yard holding a gun and stating, "I shot him." Kendra Scott was arrested at the scene and subsequently charged with first-degree murder and employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony. The case has brought to light complex questions regarding self-defense and the use of lethal force, as prosecutors are expected to argue that Morton was no longer a threat as he was retreating from the home when he was shot. Scott was held without bond and awaited her initial court appearance.
