By Rupert Howell

Quinton Tellis, charged with the 2014 death of Jessica Chambers, will make his first court appearance involving that case Friday in Hernando while relatively new charges in Louisiana were filed last week for first degree murder in the death of a University of Louisiana-Monroe student, Meing-Chen Hsiao.

Tellis is expected to enter a plea in Circuit Court in Hernando where Circuit Judge Gerald Chatham will be presiding.

The hearing was originally set for today in Batesville but was postponed due to a scheduling conflict with attorneys, according to District Attorney John Champion. Tellis is being represented by two Jackson attorneys and is being housed in the Desoto County jail in Hernando at least partially due to the victim’s father being an employee with Panola County Sheriffs Department.

Monroe Police began investigating Hsiao’s death in August  2015 after she was found in her off-campus apartment. Tellis was identified as a suspect in her death after he was charged for using her debit cards.

Arrest warrants, filed last week in Louisiana court, shed new light on the gruesome details surrounding her death, according to published reports.

Champion told reporters last week that Friday’s appearance in the Chamber’s case would likely be Tellis’ only court appearance for a while until motions are filed-probably in the spring realistically, he said explaining the “mountains” of documents collected by the prosecutor and investigators during the 18-month investigation that defense attorneys would need to examine.

Tellis is charged as an habitual offender due to two previous burglary convictions and a felony fleeing conviction.