LA - Meing-Chen Hsiao, 34, murdered in her Monroe home, 9 Aug 2015 *arrest*


Fourth Judicial District Court Judge Larry Jefferson dismissed the indictment against Tellis in early November on the basis of information that the State of Mississippi wanted Tellis to serve a five-year sentence for charges relating to the death of Jessica Chambers in 2014.
 
This article has a bit more info with a nice size quote from DA Tew. Doesn't make me any happier with this outcome.

 
Other evidence included a receipt for $0.07 from a local gas station, paid with Hsiao’s card, found in Tellis’ bedroom. Donald asked if it was from after the time of her death, trying to plant the idea that Tellis could have gotten her card from someone else as he had stated initially, but Cookson countered with the fact that phone calls were made to Hsiao’s bank from both Tellis’ and Hsiao’s phones within minutes of when she is believed to have died, and cell phone towers put that call within 60 yards of the center of her apartment.

Notwithstanding bazillion of other stuff, I am really not getting this. Perhaps someone can explain me how this is not sufficient in courts. How???

This poor girl was helping kids in the neighbourhood, one of which happenned to be this monster's relative. That is how they met.

She sounded like a genuinely nice girl and she does deserve justice.
 
EDIT: First article is dated later!!! My bad. Deleted references.

If he is to come out so soon, why is the murder charge dropped end of 2022?

Currently, Quinton Tellis is serving a burglary sentence of five years in Mississippi. It is expected that Quinton Tellis will come out in 2024.
 
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EDIT: First article is dated later!!! My bad. Deleted references.

If he is to come out so soon, why is the murder charge dropped end of 2022?
My opinion is that DA Tew feels he doesn't have enough evidence for a slam-dunk verdict. When I asked a former LEO for an opinion, this is what they speculated. You know how much DAs like to feel pretty certain they will win before they walk into the courtroom. From the cited article: "The Second Circuit Court of Appeal will decide whether Tellis stands trial following his sentence in Mississippi." It will be interesting to see if he makes it to trial. Tellis' ability to escape justice for terrible crimes makes me shake my head.

 
My opinion is that DA Tew feels he doesn't have enough evidence for a slam-dunk verdict. When I asked a former LEO for an opinion, this is what they speculated. You know how much DAs like to feel pretty certain they will win before they walk into the courtroom. From the cited article: "The Second Circuit Court of Appeal will decide whether Tellis stands trial following his sentence in Mississippi." It will be interesting to see if he makes it to trial. Tellis' ability to escape justice for terrible crimes makes me shake my head.


Actually this is all confusing. Your earlier article (thanks!) had more info. It was the state that took the case to the appeals.

"If the appeal court does not grant the continuance it is unclear what would happen to Tellis after serving his five-year sentence in Mississippi, according to Jones."

This one by ADA Jones seems to contradict DA Tew who seem to be sure that he will be tried. And given that this guy is to be released in 2024, I don't know why the trial date was just not postponed but dismissed end of 2022.

2 hang jury circus on JC... and now this. How this happens I don't know. And on a side note, I hope I am NEVER tried for anything by these kind of peers. I will accept guilt and take the plea deal even if I am innocent instead of facing them!
 
Monday, June 16th:
*Status Hearing (@ am ET) – LA – Meing-Chen “Mandy” Hsiao (34) (last seen July 29, 2015, Monroe; found Aug. 8, 2015) - *Quentin Verdell Tellis (27/now 35) charged (8/16/16), indicted (5/17/19) & arraigned (6/18/19) with 2nd degree murder. Plead not guilty. No bond. Judge reduced bond (10/23/19) to $300K. (Future reductions possible). Bond reduction denied (7/28/21). Quachita Parish #4 Jud. Distr. Court (Judge Larry Jefferson)
Bench Trial was set to begin on 8/1/22 continued on 10/3/22 & was continued on 10/26/22 & was vacated.
Information (8/19/15) on previous court case & court info from 2/18/19 thru 3/14/22 reference post #156 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...r-monroe-home-9-aug-2015-arrest.301578/page-8

8/1/22 Update: The trial was scheduled to start Monday, but will now begin on 8/29/22. The trial was originally scheduled for 3/14/22 & was rescheduled for 8/1/22 when Tellis's attorneys attempted to discredit a key piece of evidence in the case. According to court documents, Tellis' attorneys waived his right to a standard jury trial & instead will try the case in front of a judge. Assistant District Attorney Holly Chambers Jones is serving as lead prosecutor in the case.
8/27/22 Update: Trial is no longer on the judge’s schedule. Heard the trial will begin on 10/3/22. 9/27/22 Update: Trial has been continued with no further dates.
10/3/22 Update: Trial has been rescheduled to start on 10/26/22.
10/25/22 Update: That trial was supposed to begin 10/24/22, but the DA’s office there said Tellis is back in a Mississippi prison to serve a five-year sentence for burglary. His Louisiana trial will depend on when that sentence ends. Tellis was tried twice for setting Chambers on fire in Panola County, Mississippi, in 2014. Both trials ended with hung juries. There is no decision on if he’ll be tried a third time.
11/2/22 Update: On Wednesday, November 2, 2022, officials announced that Quinton Tellis will not face trial for the murder of a ULM graduate. Last week, Fourth Judicial District Court Judge Larry Jefferson dismissed the indictment against Tellis on the basis of information that the State of Mississippi wanted Tellis to serve a five-year prison sentence for other offenses. The Second Circuit Court of Appeal will decide whether Tellis stands trial in the future after serving his sentence in Mississippi. Tellis is accused of the fatal stabbing of Ming Chen Hsiao, a ULM graduate, which took place in Monroe, La. on July 29, 2015. According to officials, the State of Louisiana has issued an appeal for this ruling.
2/25/24 Update: Currently, Quinton Tellis is serving a burglary sentence of five years in Mississippi. It is expected that Quinton Tellis will come out in 10/16/2027.
4/10/24 Docket update: Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Second Circuit. State of Louisiana Appellant v. Quinton Verdell Tellis Appellee [No. 55,609-KA] Decided: April 10, 2024. Before Pitman, Thompson & Marcotte, 33. DA Robert S. Tew, Assistant DA Counsel for Appellant. Louisiana Appellate Project filed by G. Paul Marx, Counsel for Appellee.
The State of Louisiana appeals the dismissal without prejudice of the charge of second degree murder against Defendant Quinton Verdell Tellis for alleged violation of his right to a speedy trial. For the following reasons, the judgment of the trial court is affirmed in part, reversed in part & remanded. For more info see post #194 here - link: https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...-monroe-home-9-aug-2015-arrest.301578/page-10

5/2/25 Update: In November 2022, District Court Judge Larry Jefferson dismissed the murder charge for an alleged violation of Tellis's right to a speedy trial. Tellis was sent back to Mississippi to serve a five-year sentence on the burglary conviction. Louisiana prosecutors appealed Jefferson's decision, and in 2024, a Louisiana appellate court overturned his ruling & ordered a new trial date set. Jefferson had a gag order in place so as not to taint the jury pool, he said. However, Tellis later waived his right to a jury trial in favor of allowing Jefferson to decide his innocence or guilt. That gag order had not been challenged until now. After learning the case was under seal, the Clarion Ledger sought a hearing to ask Jefferson to unseal the case. The newspaper was represented by attorney Dan Zimmerman of Phelps Dunbar in New Orleans. Jefferson ruled on the request Thursday at Ouachita Parish Courthouse in Monroe. Attorney Randall Donald said Tellis did not object to the unsealing of his court file. The District Attorney's office also did not object. After discussing the matter, Jefferson ordered Tellis' file unsealed, effective immediately. The Clarion Ledger was able to review Tellis' file Friday only to discover there was no new information or proceedings in the court records. Following Jefferson's order to unseal the records, the DA's office set a status update hearing for 6/16/25 in Tellis' Louisiana case. Before he was charged with her murder, Tellis admitted he used Hsiao's debit card without her permission, a crime for which he pleaded guilty, but he denied killing her. He was sentenced to 10 years in a Louisiana prison for the debit card use. Tellis is incarcerated in a Mississippi prison on a burglary conviction, and is expected to be released in 2027.
 

June 16, 2025
......
On Monday ,June 16 in Monroe, Tellis was scheduled for a status hearing to let Fourth Judicial District Judge Larry Jefferson know where each party is with the case and whether either party is ready to go to trial.

Tellis' attorney in the Louisiana case, Randall Donald, told the court that Tellis is still in prison in Mississippi, with an expected release date in October 2027.

The district attorney's office was not prepared to talk about the case since it wasn't on the D.A.'s calendar, but First Assistant District Attorney Holly Jones told Jefferson she would be ready at the next hearing, which is set for August.
[.....]
In Hsiao's case, the murder charge against Tellis was dismissed by Jefferson in 2022 because he believed Tellis was deprived of his right to a speedy trial, but that ruling was overturned in 2024 by the appellate court in Louisiana.

The case had been previously sealed and a gag order issued, but in March, Jefferson lifted the seal after the Clarion Ledger filed a request to have the case reopened. The gag order remains in place, meaning those connected with the case may not speak to the media or the public about its details.



Unfortunately the article doesn't say "when" in August....

I have @BUF - as my "go-to" person - anything you can find for the date in August? TIA! :)
 

June 16, 2025
......
On Monday ,June 16 in Monroe, Tellis was scheduled for a status hearing to let Fourth Judicial District Judge Larry Jefferson know where each party is with the case and whether either party is ready to go to trial.

Tellis' attorney in the Louisiana case, Randall Donald, told the court that Tellis is still in prison in Mississippi, with an expected release date in October 2027.

The district attorney's office was not prepared to talk about the case since it wasn't on the D.A.'s calendar, but First Assistant District Attorney Holly Jones told Jefferson she would be ready at the next hearing, which is set for August.
[.....]
In Hsiao's case, the murder charge against Tellis was dismissed by Jefferson in 2022 because he believed Tellis was deprived of his right to a speedy trial, but that ruling was overturned in 2024 by the appellate court in Louisiana.

The case had been previously sealed and a gag order issued, but in March, Jefferson lifted the seal after the Clarion Ledger filed a request to have the case reopened. The gag order remains in place, meaning those connected with the case may not speak to the media or the public about its details.



Unfortunately the article doesn't say "when" in August....

I have @BUF - as my "go-to" person - anything you can find for the date in August? TIA! :)
@Niner , sorry I couldn’t find a specific date for that August hearing.
Everlearning maybe can find something?
 

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