OAKWOOD, GA – What started as a concern about a child’s injury escalated into a full-scale homicide probe after Oakwood police discovered a four-year-old’s remains in the trunk of a car parked at a neighborhood shopping plaza.
Jessica Motes, 36, now faces first-degree murder charges in connection with the death of her daughter, Autumn Fox. The investigation began in the early evening hours of October 26, when authorities responded to a 911 call regarding an injured child at a retail complex on Mundy Mill Road.
Police zeroed in on a red Nissan Sentra registered to Motes, acting on leads from a family member who reported seeing Motes acting erratically in the busy parking lot. According to official documents, that family member was her father, who became alarmed after hearing disturbing statements from his daughter admitting to having harmed her child. After Motes confided in him, he left the lot with her, ultimately encountering law enforcement not far from the scene.
Authorities wasted no time in locating the vehicle. Once officers reached the Nissan, parked among rows of shoppers’ cars, they made the tragic discovery: Autumn Fox’s body lay concealed in the trunk.
An intense flurry of police activity followed both at the shopping center and at a residence on Couch Road in Flowery Branch later that evening. Although officials have been tight-lipped about how the two locations might be linked, Couch Road is listed in law enforcement reports associated with the case.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called in to take over the probe at the request of Oakwood police, given the complexity and cross-jurisdictional nature of the case. The Hall County Sheriff’s Office is also involved as the investigation unfolds.
Authorities have yet to disclose the cause of the child’s death or share any details about a possible motive. The medical examiner continues to work on confirming how Autumn died as investigators gather statements and search for further evidence.
Motes was initially arrested on suspicion of hiding her daughter’s body, but as detectives pieced together more of the timeline and gathered additional testimony, the charge was quickly upgraded to murder. She remains behind bars at the Hall County Jail without bond.
Officials have described the case as “active and ongoing,” declining to comment further as they continue gathering facts and reviewing evidence.
The loss of Autumn Fox has left local residents shocked and saddened, as the investigation presses forward to determine the circumstances behind her death and secure justice for the young child.