According to the investigators, Jessica and Quinton were in a relationship weeks before her death. They were introduced to each other by their friends. Quinton was a gang member, but the death of Jessica was in no way gang or drug-related, according to investigators.

Panola County District Attorney John Champion said that the breakthrough in the case came when the investigators began looking at technological data, which included cell phone records. “It wasn’t until we received information from subpoenas and began analyzing the information we obtained that certain things began falling in place,” according to Champion.