Jessica Quarles remains jailed without bond after investigators accused her of shooting 1-year-old Landrie Harris and 11-year-old McKenna Young.

KENTON, Tenn. — A Tennessee mother accused of fatally shooting her two daughters inside their family home has pleaded not guilty, according to a local report, as a judge ordered a psychiatric evaluation and scheduled another court hearing for September.

Jessica Quarles is charged with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder, two counts of first-degree felony murder and two aggravated child abuse, neglect or endangerment offenses. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said an Obion County grand jury returned the indictment June 29, about two weeks after 1-year-old Landrie Harris and 11-year-old McKenna Young were found shot to death at a residence in the 300 block of Jan Lynn Street in Kenton. Quarles, their mother, has not been convicted, and the charges remain allegations that prosecutors must prove in court.

The case began June 13, when officers were called to the Kenton home and found both children dead from gunshot wounds. Quarles was also found injured inside the residence. Initial reports said she had suffered serious stab wounds and was taken to a Memphis hospital in critical condition. The TBI later said investigators identified her as the person responsible for the children’s deaths. The agency has not publicly released a detailed timeline of the shootings, a suspected motive, information about the weapon or a full account of the evidence presented to the grand jury.

Landrie’s father, Tim Harris, discovered the children after returning to the home, according to Law&Crime and a longtime friend who spoke with the publication. The friend, Haley Paige Wilson, said Harris was left devastated by what he encountered. She said the experience and its aftermath had changed him, describing him as numb and struggling to understand how the children could have been killed. Authorities have not accused Harris of wrongdoing in the case. Wilson said Harris cared for both girls, including McKenna, who was not his biological daughter. She recalled that he worked additional hours to help obtain a motorized wheelchair for McKenna after another chair was stolen. Wilson said McKenna responded warmly to him and that Harris considered her part of his family. Those details have become part of how friends are remembering the household while the criminal case proceeds through court.

Public posts attributed to Quarles described McKenna as having Fragile X syndrome, epilepsy, autism, low muscle tone and conditions affecting her movement. The TBI indictment includes one aggravated child abuse, neglect or endangerment count involving a vulnerable child and another involving a child age 8 or younger. The bureau’s announcement did not describe the specific conduct behind those two counts or explain how they relate to the felony murder charges. Prosecutors have not publicly released the full evidentiary record supporting the indictment.

The investigation was conducted by the TBI, Kenton Police Department, Obion County Sheriff’s Office and the 27th Judicial District Attorney General’s Office. TBI agents joined the case at the request of District Attorney General Colin Johnson on the day the children were found. In its June 29 announcement, the bureau said investigators had identified Quarles as responsible, but it emphasized that an indictment is an accusation rather than evidence of guilt and that she is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process.

Quarles was arrested after leaving the hospital and was booked into the Obion County Jail without bond. A local radio report said she appeared in Obion County Circuit Court on July 6, indicated that she could not afford a lawyer and entered a not-guilty plea. That report said the judge ordered a psychiatric evaluation and set the next hearing for Sept. 21. No public court document reviewed for this article established whether prosecutors have made any decision about seeking the death penalty or whether defense counsel has filed substantive motions challenging the indictment.

The charges reflect two different first-degree murder theories for each child. The premeditated murder counts allege intentional killings formed after reflection, while felony murder generally alleges a death caused during the commission or attempted commission of another qualifying felony. The filing of both theories does not mean prosecutors are alleging four separate deaths. Instead, the counts provide alternative legal paths tied to the two killings, with the accompanying child abuse allegations potentially forming part of the prosecution’s felony murder theory. The precise prosecution argument will depend on the indictment, evidence and later court filings.

Before charges were announced, relatives and residents gathered at a candlelight vigil connected to Quarles and the girls. One family member, Rickey Dale Alexander, later told Law&Crime that relatives were heartbroken and wanted the focus placed on remembering McKenna and Landrie. He said the girls’ lives mattered and that both were deeply loved. Earlier, while Quarles remained hospitalized and investigators had not publicly named a suspect, Alexander had posted that he did not believe she was capable of involvement.

The investigation also unfolded amid online speculation about who might have been responsible. Wilson said some social media users accused Harris before authorities announced the indictment. She said those accusations added to his grief as he faced questions from people who did not know what investigators had found. The TBI’s later announcement identified Quarles as the accused person and did not name Harris or any other alleged participant. No reliable public report reviewed for this article said investigators were seeking another suspect.

Friends described Harris as emotionally overwhelmed in the weeks after the deaths. Wilson said ordinary contact with children had become difficult for him because it brought back memories of Landrie and McKenna. She also said he continued trying to be present with the children of friends despite his grief. Her comments offer a personal account of the losses, but they do not establish how the shootings happened or why. Those questions remain matters for investigators, prosecutors and, if the case goes to trial, a jury.

Information about the family’s financial strain also appeared in earlier public posts. In January, Quarles wrote that the household had fallen on difficult times after Harris was laid off and that she had not returned to work after Landrie’s birth. She mentioned bills and McKenna’s medical appointments while asking for prayers and assistance. Investigators have not said financial stress caused the killings, and no verified evidence reviewed for this article establishes a motive. The posts provide background about the family but should not be treated as proof of what led to the children’s deaths.

Several central facts remain undisclosed. Authorities have not released autopsy reports, the time at which each child was shot, forensic findings, records of emergency calls or a narrative describing Quarles’ alleged actions. They also have not publicly explained the origin of her injuries beyond reports that they appeared to have been self-inflicted. Because the case is pending, evidence may first emerge through discovery, pretrial motions or testimony rather than through public statements from law enforcement.

Quarles remains in the Obion County Jail without bond while the prosecution continues. Her next reported court date is Sept. 21, when the court may address the psychiatric evaluation, appointment of counsel or scheduling issues. No trial date has been publicly announced. McKenna and Landrie’s deaths remain the subject of an active criminal case, and Quarles is presumed innocent unless prosecutors prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

Author note: Last updated July 27, 2026.