4-Year-Old Found in Trunk at Sam's Club; Mother Charged With Murder

On the afternoon of October 26, 2025, Autumn Fox - four years old - was found dead in the trunk of a Nissan sedan in an Oakwood, Georgia parking lot. The car belonged to her mother.

Before police were called, her mother had already told a family member what happened.

What Investigators Found

According to an arrest warrant obtained by multiple news outlets, Jessica Motes, 36, drove to the Sam’s Club on Mundy Mill Road in Oakwood and contacted her father. She told him she had “hurt” the child and said, “I think she is dead.” Her father then alerted other family members, and police were called.

When officers arrived, they found Autumn’s body in the trunk. An investigation determined the child had died from blunt force trauma. She had been exposed to fentanyl, methamphetamine, and xylazine - a veterinary sedative used primarily on horses. Her right arm had been broken. She had multiple bruises.

Motes was arrested at the scene. Her initial charge was concealing the death of another. That charge was later upgraded to murder.

The Charges and the Plea That Was Rejected

In January 2026, a Hall County grand jury indicted Motes on charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, cruelty to children in the first degree, and concealing the death of another.

In March, the Hall County District Attorney’s Office announced it would seek the death penalty. Prosecutors presented Motes with two options: plead guilty and accept life without parole, or face capital punishment at trial. She rejected the offer.

“The offense of murder was outrageously or wantonly vile, horrible, or inhuman in that it involved torture, depravity of mind, or an aggravated battery to the victim,” DA Lee Darragh wrote in the motion to seek death.

Where the Case Stands

Motes appeared in court on May 1, 2026, for what was expected to be her formal arraignment. The hearing was delayed because the full autopsy report has not yet been completed - portions of the examination required extended laboratory analysis. Prosecutors told the court the final report may be several weeks away.

Her arraignment has been rescheduled for July 8 at 9 a.m. Motes remains in custody without bail.

The judge assigned to the case has begun laying out the procedural schedule. Jury selection has not yet been set.

A Child Who Never Made It to Five

Autumn Fox was four years old. Her full name and the nature of her relationship to Motes was confirmed by investigators following the arrest, though authorities have not released additional background information about the family’s history or circumstances.

The case drew immediate attention across Georgia and nationally - both for the circumstances of how Autumn was found and for the revelation that her mother had called a family member before calling for help.

Motes has not yet entered a formal plea. That will occur at the July arraignment. In the meantime, the Hall County District Attorney’s Office is preparing to argue that what was done to Autumn Fox warrants the highest possible consequence under Georgia law.

References: Death Penalty Sought Against Georgia Woman Who Allegedly Killed 4-Year-Old Girl | Autopsy Report Delayed for 4-Year-Old Found in Trunk of Car at Sam’s Club