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By Linda Bolton
linda@mckenziebanner.com |
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The death of a 17-year-old Huntingdon girl is being
investigated as a homicide by Carroll County Sheriff’s
Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
The body of Jessica Dawn Julius was discovered in her
home at 625 Colvett Road near Huntingdon at
approximately 3:00 a.m. Friday by her 18-year-old
brother, Joshua, who had arrived at the home with two
male friends.
Jessica, who was a senior at Huntingdon High School,
was 21 weeks pregnant and had reportedly just learned
Friday that she was carrying a baby girl which she had
already named Autumn Devine.
Jessica lived with her mother, Glenda Julius at the
Colvett Road address. Joshua lived at the address “off
and on,” said Carroll County Sheriff Bendell
Barthlomew.
Glenda Julius was employed at Raceway in McKenzie as a
midnight manager and was reportedly at work when
Jessica’s body was found. She arrived at home just
before 5 a.m. but was not allowed to enter the home,
which had been declared a crime scene.
A preliminary autopsy report indicated the teenager
died as the result of a gunshot wound, according to
Steve Cantrell, Carroll County Medical Examiner
Designate. Cantrell was on the crime scene and
pronounced the victim dead at 5:40 a.m. Friday.
Officials declined to say where the bullet entered the
body or if the teen had been shot more than once. It
was not disclosed what type of weapon was used or when
the shooting had occurred.
The sheriff’s department reportedly received the call
at 3:36 a.m. and arrived on the scene a short time
later to find the grief-stricken brother and his
friends outside the home. After performing a
preliminary investigation and securing the area with
crime tape, CCSO officials notified the Tennessee
Bureau of Investigation. TBI agents Chris Carpenter
and Joe Walker are working the case.
No arrests have been made and officials would not
reveal if they have a suspect in the case. However,
Sheriff Bartholomew stated that several persons have
been questioned.
“We have questioned friends, relatives, anyone
connected to her,” the sheriff said.
In the death of a pregnant woman, a suspect can face
double homicide charges. Sheriff Bartholomew stated it
will be up to District Attorney Robert “Gus” Radford
to decide whether to charge a suspect with a double
homicide.
Authorities are also looking into a recent fire at the
Julius home to determine if that incident might be a
connected to the teenager’s death.
Sheriff Bartholomew noted that a 911 call was received
on September 13 in regard to a minor fire that started
on the front porch of the Julius residence while both
Glenda and Jessica were home.
In light of the recent murder, Sheriff Bartholomew
stated that an arson team has been called in to
investigate the fire.
Funeral services for Miss Julius will be Wednesday.
See complete obituary elsewhere in this edition.
Principal Offers Condolences to Family
In regards to learning of the death of one of
Huntingdon High School’s students, Principal Mike
Henson stated, “Jessica’s smile and friendly way will
be greatly missed by the administration, faculty,
Class of 2005, and the students of Huntingdon High
School.”
“Our love, thoughts, and prayers are with Jessica’s
family during this difficult time,” he added.
Jessica was a senior at Huntingdon High School and
would have graduated in May 2005. She was very active
in the HOSA organization. Her further plans were to
join the military and become a nurse, according to the
principal.
She had completed a questionnaire to be used in Senior
Spotlights of the HHS newspaper. According to that
survey, her favorite part of HHS was the athletic
teams. She couldn’t choose a favorite teacher saying,
“I like them all.”
When asked to give advice to underclassmen, Jessica
responded, “Enjoy your time in high school. When
you’re a senior, you will realize how fast those years
really went by.”
