Investigators are searching for an inmate who they say escaped custody from a Mississippi Jail last week after being charged with murdering a woman inside a southwest Houston motel.
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Information from the U.S. Marshals said that 30-year-old Joshua James Zimmerman was in custody and charged with Attempted Murder and Armed Robbery and was supposed to be extradited back to Houston for the charge of Murder.
According to the Desoto County Sheriff’s Office, Zimmerman escaped from their courthouse on Friday, June 14, where he was scheduled for a hearing.
He has been missing ever since and is now believed to be in the Memphis, Tennessee area.
Officials say Zimmerman was last seen wearing a khaki durag, khaki pants, a white t-shirt, and jail-issued flip-flops with socks. He also has several identifiable tattoos.
Zimmerman is listed at 5 feet 11 inches tall and is approximately 210 pounds. He is believed to have shaved his beard since the escape.
He is also considered armed and dangerous, and U.S. Marshals are telling the community to not not approach him.
Authorities are offering up to $5,000 reward for information that leads to Zimmerman’s arrest.
The DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office reminded the public that anyone seen helping Zimmerman would be charged with a felony. If you have any information, you’re asked to call 1-800-336-0102. All tips are anonymous.
Harris County murder charge
Joshua Zimmerman, also known by his alias Jamie Quintana, is accused of killing Keyanna Shantall Mercer back on Sept. 2, 2023.
According to court documents, authorities were called about the shooting at the Red Carpet Inn in the 6800 block of Hornwood Drive.
Deputies said when they arrived, they located a deceased woman between the entrance door and bathroom door who had a gruesome gunshot wound to the head.
Motel workers at the Red Carpet Inn told authorities that the situation began when someone made a noise complaint that both the victim, Mercer, and the suspect, Zimmerman were arguing or fighting inside their hotel room.
The assistant manager reportedly went to confront Zimmerman about the noise and remind them of their zero-tolerance fighting policy.
After answering, with only a towel on, court records show that Zimmerman told the manager that he and Mercer were not arguing, just talking loudly, and promised that they would keep their voices down.
According to the hotel staff, someone called a second time about the noise but added that this time, a woman had jumped out of the window. The assistant manager went back to speak with the two however, they were not in the room at the time.
The documents go on to say that the manager ultimately disabled their room keys and decided to lock the window from inside around 3:40 p.m. since someone mentioned that the woman had jumped.
Hours later, the manager stated that Zimmerman made his way to their office to ask about his personal property to which they provided him temporary access to the room - only to retrieve his property.
The manager said she waited until a security guard arrived around 8 p.m. to ensure Zimmerman and Mercer had vacated the room.
When she and the security guard went to the room, they said that the door was not fully closed. The guards knocked and then they pushed the door open to find Mercer’s lifeless body on the ground with a single gunshot wound to the head.
Days before the incident happened on Aug. 30, another worker said she was receiving noise complaints about Zimmerman as well.
Zimmerman was apparently staying at the hotel for an extended amount of time and went to the desk to pay rent for the week. That hotel employee told investigators that she had warned him about a noise complaint and said during their conversation, she noticed a woman standing in the lobby with him off to the side, appearing to be timid and scared.
“She asked her if she was OK or needed help. The female responded that she was fine, and did not need help,” court documents show.
Then, on Sept. 2, the worker was informed that the woman was in fact outside, on the roof with Zimmerman.
When she and the maintenance man went outside, she said she saw Zimmerman on the roof with the woman who appeared to have a bloodied mouth.
Investigators were able to review the motel footage to piece up exactly what happened.
Timeline of murder
5:00 p.m. - Mercer and Zimmerman returned to the room after not being in there for hours.
5:33 p.m. - Cameras capture audio of an individual scream, followed by a single gunshot.
5:34 p.m. - Zimmerman is seen on camera peering into the hallway, looking both directions before exiting the room and walking toward the stairs.
8:26 p.m. - Motel staff discovers Mercer’s dead body.
In an effort to help victims, KPRC 2 News created a series, “Breaking Free,” reporting on domestic-related violence and its horrific consequences. The series showcased various stories of survival, heartache, and some even ending in death, but each shared a list of free domestic violence resources on how to get help.
Do you know someone in need of help? KPRC 2 released the following features in “Breaking Free.”
Help is also available immediately if you need it through the following numbers:
- Houston Area Women’s Center: (713) 528-2121
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: (800) 799−7233
- If you are in immediate danger, call 911.