HALL COUNTY, Ga. — A 4-year-old found dead in a car trunk after a woman drove to a Sam’s Club had been exposed to drugs and had a broken bone, according to new warrants filed.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Jessica Motes, 36, is charged with malice murder, aggravated battery, cruelty to children and concealing the death of 4-year-old Autumn Fox.
At first, Motes was charged with concealing the death of a child, but this week, the state upgraded the charges to murder, aggravated battery and first-degree cruelty to children.
The investigation started on Oct. 26 after Motes drove to the Sam’s Club on Mundy Mill Road and called her dad.
According to warrants obtained by Channel 2 Action News, the child had been exposed to fentanyl, meth and Xylazine, a veterinary sedative used primarily for horses.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Neighbors frustrated with former Kroger blasting music 24/7 to stop trespassing
- Woman found along highway 9 years ago. Now, a shell casing has sent a man to prison
- Law professor disappears hiking in north Georgia mountains
The warrants also say the girl’s right arm had been broken and she had multiple bruises.
Fox was found in the trunk of the car in a parking lot last month.
Motes’ father told investigators that Motes said she hurt the child and “I think she is dead.” The warrant states that her father drove her away from the scene and they later “encountered” law enforcement.
Police have not disclosed the relationship between Motes and Autumn Fox, nor why the child was in her care. Motes is currently held in Hall County Jail without bond.
Channel 2’s Bryan Mims spoke on the phone with Hammond Law, the attorney representing Motes.
He could not comment on the case, but he did saw many questions will get answered on Nov. 26, when a preliminary hearing is scheduled.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2025 Cox Media Group
