On a late Saturday afternoon in Collierville, Tennessee, the life of 47-year-old Jenni Lynn Otten was tragically cut short. On September 9, 2023, police responded to a shooting at the Meriden Parks apartments located near Fulford Way. Upon arrival, they discovered that Jenni Otten had been fatally shot. Another individual, Mark Isaac Cross, was also found at the scene with critical injuries from the shooting.
The investigation quickly identified Jenni Otten's estranged husband,
52-year-old Eric Otten of Olive Branch, as the primary suspect in the violent incident. Following the shooting, he fled the state, prompting a multi-agency manhunt. Law enforcement officials, including the Collierville Police Department, DeSoto County Sheriff's Department, and police departments from Olive Branch and Southaven, collaborated in the search.
The day after the shooting, Eric Otten was located and apprehended in Williamson County, Texas. He was taken into custody without incident and is being held pending extradition back to Tennessee. Authorities have announced that he faces charges of first-degree murder for the death of his wife and attempted first-degree murder for the shooting of Mark Cross. The community was left shaken by the domestic violence that ended in a beloved mother's death.
