HALL COUNTY, Ga. — A woman now faces murder charges after a 4-year-old girl’s body was found in her car’s trunk.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced the new charges against Jessica Motes on Wednesday in the death of 4-year-old Autumn Fox.
Motes was previously charged with concealing the child’s death. The new charges are malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery and cruelty to children in the 1st degree.
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Oakwood Police Department and Hall County Sheriff’s Office requested the GBI to investigate on Oct. 26.
According to the warrant, Motes’ father reported seeing her driving in the parking lot at 3839 Mundy Mill Road around 5 p.m. The address belongs to the Sam’s Club in Oakwood.
Her 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.
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That is when officers discovered Fox’s body in the car trunk. The car is registered in Motes’ name, according to the warrant.
Investigators have not said if Motes and Fox were related or why the child was in her care. Motes remains in the Hall County jail on no bond.
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