Tennessee Mom Accused of Murder After Shooting Man She Found Hiding Under 13-Year-Old Daughter's Bed
Kendra Scott allegedly shot the man in the back of his head.
Sept. 7 2026, Updated 1:30 p.m. ET
A Tennessee mom has been charged with murder after shooting a man she allegedly found under her teenage daughter's bed, RadarOnline.com can reveal. Officers found the 20-year-old man dead with a gunshot wound in the back of his head on Kendra Scott's front lawn on July 16, according to an arrest affidavit.
Scott, 36, allegedly told officers at the scene that she "saw a dude under my kid's bed and I did what I had to do," according to the affidavit.
Alleged Crime Details
Kendra Scott allegedly shot a man hiding under her daughter's bed.
Scott's daughter told Memphis police that she'd invited the man, identified as Rodderius Morton, to the family home in Memphis, and he came in through the back door at 1 a.m., the warrant said.
When Scott came home about 20 minutes later, she banged loudly on the door and yelled, "Who's at my house?"
The teen reportedly told police she was frightened because her mother had a gun and had threatened that "if she sees a boy in my house I will put a hole in his a--."
When she let her mom in the home, Scott allegedly caught Morton hiding under the bed and told him to "get out of my house b----," the teen said.
A Parent's 'Worst Nightmare'
Former teachers described Rodderius Morton as a special needs student.
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A neighbor said Scott stood in her front yard with the gun, saying, "I shot him, I shot him," according to the arrest affidavit. Morton was a special needs student who had cognitive learning disabilities, according to a former teacher.
Officers later found a spent 9mm shell casing on the home's front porch and a handgun in the front yard.
Scott's lawyer Blake Ballin said: "This incident started with the worst nightmare of any parent of a 13-year-old girl. Predictably, it ended in tragedy. One of the key questions in this case will be whether anyone could act rationally in this circumstance."
Scott faces charges of first-degree murder and possessing a firearm during a dangerous felony.
