Tednequa Tenice Moore was a 25-year-old Black woman from Robinsonville, Mississippi, whom her mother described as a "bright spirited person" and a "little girly girl" who loved makeup. She and her boyfriend, Deshun Montarrio Isabell, had a 10-month-old daughter together, and she was pregnant with their second child when her life was cut short.
On the evening of Friday, November 10, 2023, Tednequa was in a car with Isabell, 24, and their friend Steven Dewayne Burts, 23. Family said the trio was heading to a casino on Casino Center Drive in Tunica County when their vehicle was sprayed with gunfire. The car, riddled with bullet holes, then crashed into a pole. Deputies responded to the scene at 9:24 p.m. to find all three occupants deceased.
A preliminary autopsy report revealed that Tednequa and the driver, Steven Burts, died from multiple gunshot wounds. Deshun Isabell died from trauma sustained in the crash.
Because Tednequa was pregnant, the Tunica County Sheriff’s Office announced that capital murder charges would be sought in the quadruple homicide. The investigation involved multiple agencies, including the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Less than two weeks later, on November 22, 2023, investigators arrested their first suspect, 18-year-old Deonte Carnell Taylor of Tunica. He was charged with three counts of capital murder, four counts of shooting into a motor vehicle, and four counts of conspiracy to commit a crime. He was held without bond. At the time, authorities stated that more arrests were expected.
Months later, the case saw another significant development. In April 2024, the sheriff’s office announced charges against a second suspect, 20-year-old Anthony “A.J.” Carter Jr. He faced four counts of capital murder, four counts of conspiracy to commit a crime, one count of drive-by shooting, and one count of shooting into a motor vehicle. Carter was already in custody on multiple unrelated charges at the time he was charged in the homicides. As of April 2024, the investigation was ongoing.
The Tunica County Sheriff’s Office encourages anyone with information to contact them at 662-363-1411 or Tunica County CrimeStoppers at 662-910-0400.
