In the quiet town of Scottsboro, Alabama, the life of 17-year-old Tessa Faye Groves was tragically cut short on Tuesday, September 18, 2012. A senior at Woodville High School, Tessa was known to have a spunky attitude and a resilient spirit. She was born on July 7, 1995, in Huntsville, Alabama, and worked at a local Wendy's. Her life, however, was not without its struggles, having faced difficulties from a young age.
On that fateful September evening, Scottsboro police responded to a 911 call shortly after 9 p.m. at a residence on Quincy Street. Upon arrival, they discovered Tessa's 19-year-old boyfriend, Jonathan Maurice Nicholson, outside the home with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his face. Inside the house, officers found Tessa, who had been fatally shot. The investigation quickly pointed to a murder-attempted suicide. Nicholson was transported to Huntsville Hospital in stable condition and was placed in the intensive care unit.
Friends of the couple indicated that they had recently broken up. The motive for the tragic event appeared to be jealousy, as Nicholson had reportedly become distraught after learning that Tessa had been in contact with an ex-boyfriend who had recently been released from prison. The home where the incident occurred, which belonged to Nicholson's aunt, was not unfamiliar with violence. Five years prior, Nicholson's father had been stabbed by his live-in girlfriend at the same location.
