Chambers suspect's social posts tie to gang affiliation
According to criteria used by investigators to validate gang members, a look at Facebook shows the man accused in the burning death of Jessica Chambers could be a member of the Insane Vice Lords street gang.
Quinton Tellis, 27, was indicted by a special grand jury this week on capital murder charges in the burning death of the Courtland teen, a case which garnered national attention for the brutal nature of the crime. While speculation swirled around whether the homicide could have been gang-related, local gang leaders came out of the woodwork to assure authorities and the Chambers’ family that they had nothing to do with it.
Authorities don't believe that Chambers' killing was gang-motivated or that her killer was acting on behalf of a gang. She and Tellis had been linked romantically. However, there is evidence that Tellis was affiliated.
In a Wednesday press conference, District Attorney John Champion confirmed Tellis is in a gang but did not specify which one.
The Mississippi Association of Gang Investigators uses a list of validation criteria to document members of “security threat groups” or gangs. It is not against the law to be a member of a gang, but given that many crimes can be traced to gang motivations and gang activities, law enforcement works to validate gang members and their associates because it helps with investigations, such as a gang offensive in December in which 17 people were arrested for various gang-motivated crimes.
In that offensive, known as “Operation Bite Back,” FBI agents targeted suspected members of the Black Gangster Disciples, Vice Lords and Sipp Mob street gangs after gathering intelligence on their suspected criminal activity from local law enforcement and community members weary of the violence in their neighborhoods.
While the Mississippi Department of Corrections has no public record of a gang affiliation for him, in public photos and posts on Tellis' Facebook page, he validates himself by MAGI standards, or at least provides more than enough indicators that he identifies with the Vice Lords in some way.
According to MAGI, there are four major types of gangs: street gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs, prison gangs and drug cartels. In order to be validated officially as a member of a gang, an offender must meet one of two primary standards:
(1) admit he's a member of a gang;
- March 26, 2015 - above a YouTube video called “Vice Lord love,” Tellis writes, “I AM.”
(2) his membership must be documented in law enforcement reports, a pre-sentence report, or previous MAGI or court records.
If he doesn't meet either of those standards, he has to meet two of the following:
(3) tattoos/ brands of gang symbols;
- Jan. 24, 2015 — Tellis posts a profile picture showing common Vice Lord hand signs. In a series of photos posted that same day, a “VL” tattoo is clearly visible on his left arm, along with several five-pointed stars, which are also a symbol used by the Vice Lords. According to VL literature, the five points of the star are said in VL literature to represent Love, Truth, Peace, Freedom and Justice.
- Oct. 26, 2014 — Again, Tellis posts a photo in which the VL tattoo with the five-pointed stars is clear.
(4) use gang hand signs;
- Tellis' current profile photo shows him using the VL hand signs.
- July 20, 2015 — Tellis posts a photo that shows him throwing the Insane Vice Lord hand sign, which is very similar to the VL hand sign, adding the pinky finger.
- July 11, 2015 — Tellis changes his profile photo to one in which he's wearing red, showing the IVL hand sign.
- Nov. 20, 2014 — Tellis changes his profile picture to one with the VL hand sign.
(5) use language or jargon associated with a gang;
- In Tellis' most recent post, he says, "If u Almighty like dis status!!" The word "almighty" is jargon associated with the Vice Lords.
- May 17, 2015 — Tellis posts a picture of a hand doing the IVL sign with the caption, "Itz Mighty."
- July 14, 2015 — He posts a red photo that says, "Keep calm and f--- with a Southside n--." The Vice Lords trace some of their roots to the south side of Chicago.
- June 23, 2015 — a red photo says, "Keep calm, all is well." "All is well" and "all is one" are common catchphrases for the Vice Lords.
- Also May 17, 2015 — Tellis posts a picture of a hand doing the IVL sign with the caption, "Itz Mighty."
- March 19, 2015 — In the same photo he posts July 11, he writes, “SHOUT OUT TO ALL THEM PLAYAS... ITZ MIGHTY..”
- May 12, 2013 — Above a YouTube video called, “Is you a real Vice Lord,” Tellis writes, “All is well.”
(6) wearing clothes in styles or colors along the lines of gang members;
- Throughout Tellis' profile, he can be seen wearing red consistently. Red is the Vice Lords' signature color.
(7) possesses documents or materials pertaining to gang activities;
(8) possesses paraphernalia or contraband pertaining to gang membership;
- June 23, 2015 — He posts a photo of a pair of Nikes with black and red bandanna details, laid out on a red bandanna, with the caption, "Almighty s---," however it is unclear if he owned the shoes or simply liked them.
(9) associates with members of a gang.
- Tellis is known to be a loner, and does not post any public photos with friends. However, on May 17, 2015, Tellis posts, “Shout out 2 da realest "Willie Lloyd." Lloyd was a Vice Lord leader for more than 25 years.
Other noteworthy posts include:
- June 18, 2015 — Tellis rests his head on a red bandanna, and he opens his eyes and says, "I see dead people."
- Dec. 1, 2014 — A post shows Tellis on the floor, surrounded by $20 bills.
- May 8, 2011 — Tellis displays a gun in a photo. It’s unclear exactly when the photo was taken, but Tellis was sentenced in January 2010 for residential burglary and fleeing a law enforcement officer, a felony.