GAINESVILLE, Ga. (Court TV) — A woman charged with murder in the death of a 4-year-old found in the trunk of a car appeared in court on Friday, as prosecutors admitted they have not been able to produce the child’s autopsy report yet.
Jessica Motes smiles as she is led into court on May 1, 2026. (Court TV)
Jessica Motes, 36, is charged with felony murder, malice murder, aggravated battery, cruelty to children and concealing a death after the body of a child was found in a car registered in her name. Motes appeared in court on Friday for the first time since her indictment in January.
Motes’ attorney had requested that her first appearance be delayed until after the autopsy results were in, but legally, the hearing could not be pushed any further, Judge Lindsay Burton explained.
Prosecutors apologized for the delay and said the official autopsy report has not been completed. They said the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has a team of medical examiners working on the case, and they took several days to perform the initial autopsy. Then, portions of the body were set in formalin for further testing and evaluation.
While no official report has been produced, prosecutors said the medical examiners’ preliminary cause of death was reflected in the indictment. That indictment, reviewed by Court TV, alleges that 4-year-old Autumn Fox was killed by blunt force trauma “by means unknown,” and that she was also exposed to fentanyl, methamphetamine and xylazine. Xylazine is a veterinary tranquilizer that has been found in other illicit drugs, including fentanyl. The indictment also accuses Motes of breaking the child’s arm.
Motes was arrested in Oct. 2025 after Fox’s body was found in the trunk of her Nissan sedan, which was parked outside Sam’s Club. In an affidavit, officers said that Motes told her father she had “hurt” the victim and said, “I think she is dead.”
Prosecutors announced in March that they planned to seek the death penalty for Motes. The defendant is currently represented by two attorneys hired by her father; both attorneys expressed concerns about their experience handling death penalty cases at Friday’s hearing. “It’s been so long since I’ve handled a death penalty case,” one of her attorneys, Hammond Law, told the court. While both attorneys are willing to continue representing Motes, they have asked that the public defender’s office appoint a third attorney to assist.
Motes remains in custody without bail. She is due back in court on July 8 for her arraignment.
