‘I snapped’: Documents and interviews detail final days of 4-year-old Autumn Fox

HALL COUNTY, Ga. — The death of four-year-old Autumn Fox has launched a multi-agency investigation involving the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, and the Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS). Jessica Maria Motes, 36, is currently held in the Hall County Jail without bond. She faces charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, and first-degree cruelty to children.

The case began to unfold on October 26, 2025, in the parking lot of a Sam’s Club and Walmart in Oakwood, Georgia. Authorities discovered the body of the child in the trunk of a Nissan Sentra. Following the discovery, court documents and state reports have revealed a timeline of alleged abuse, drug use, and missed opportunities for intervention.

The discovery in the parking lot

On the morning of October 26, Jessica Motes contacted her father, Tim Motes. According to interviews, she told him, “something bad happened,” and asked him to meet her. After missing the initial meeting spot, she met her father in the Tractor Supply parking lot. Tim Motes stated that Jessica arrived in her car, got into his vehicle, and appeared to be in trouble.

According to Tim Motes’ statements, Jessica confessed to him during this meeting. He recalled her saying, “I hurt Autumn,” and “I think she is dead.” She also made suicidal comments. Tim Motes immediately called his son, Drew Motes, for help, and law enforcement was contacted. When officers opened the trunk of Jessica’s car, they found Autumn Fox deceased.

Cause of death and physical evidence

Warrants and court documents released after Motes’ initial court appearance provide details regarding the child’s condition. The authorities state that Autumn Fox likely died from blunt force trauma. According to a source, an autopsy conducted by the GBI on October 28 revealed that the child’s body was “covered in bruises, cuts, scrapes, and scars.” The medical examiner noted that these injuries indicated both new trauma and healing wounds from past incidents.

In addition to physical injuries, the warrants allege the child was “exposed” to a combination of dangerous substances. These drugs included fentanyl, methamphetamine, and xylazine. The report also detailed that Autumn suffered a broken right arm. Throughout several conversations with Tim Motes, he stated that Darrell “Travis” Terry, Jessica’s fiancé, mentioned a broken arm to him before the release of any law enforcement reports.  Tim Motes insists that Terry has some level of culpability in the death of Autumn Fox, but has failed to provide any proof of those claims.

Also noteworthy, as it relates to the current investigation, Tim Motes stated that Jessica has a “$150 a day fentanyl habit.”  This may explain Autumn Fox’s exposure to the illegal narcotic.

Timeline of the final week

A heavily redacted DFCS report reconstructs the days leading up to the discovery of the body. Autumn lived with Jessica Motes and her fiancé, Darrell “Travis” Terry, 49. Terry told investigators he last saw Autumn alive on Wednesday, October 22, four days before her body was found.

Between October 23 and October 25, Terry reported that Jessica was acting “weird.” He noted that she backed her car up to the house, which was something she “never” did. On Saturday, October 25, Terry woke up to find Jessica and Autumn gone. Jessica claimed she took the child to a methadone clinic.

On the morning of the discovery, October 26, Terry told police he arrived home from a fishing trip around 6 a.m. He fell asleep and woke up later to find the house empty. As he attempted to leave, a police officer blocked his driveway. The officer informed him they were looking for a Nissan Sentra with a deceased child inside. Terry then called Jessica in front of the police. According to the report, Jessica told him, ‘I snapped, and Autumn was gone.’

DFCS cited records’ request exemption laws when pressed for historical information on investigations into Jessica Motes, Darrell “Travis” Terry, Rachel Aman, and Jessie Fox.   DFCS also did not respond to follow-up questions regarding the ongoing investigation.

The role of Darrell ‘Travis’ Terry

Darrell “Travis” Terry is identified in reports as the child’s [Autumn Fox] legal guardian and Jessica’s paramour; however, Now Habersham was unable to locate family court documents showing that Terry obtained guardianship of Fox. While he has not been charged in connection with the death, he remains a subject of the investigation. Terry refused an interview with Now Habersham but stated he is “cooperative with law enforcement” and claimed he had nothing to do with the death.

However, Tim Motes provided conflicting information regarding Terry’s involvement with the children. Tim Motes alleged that Terry obtained the children from their biological parents, Rachel Aman and Jessie Fox, to avoid DFCS involvement in conjunction with criminal charges they were facing. Motes stated, “Terry picked up two kids from a traffic stop to avoid DFACS.”

As time passed, Tim further claimed that Terry kept the children from their parents and that a detective later told him the “kids should have never been in the house [with Motes or Terry].”  Tim insists that he also repeatedly warned DFCS of the same, stating that these “kids don’t belong with Jessica” and that she “doesn’t even have her own kids.”

The DFCS report notes that Terry told investigators he was uncomfortable performing hygiene tasks for the children, such as changing diapers or bathing them. He stated he delegated all physical care of Autumn to Jessica.

Tim Motes added that Terry acquired two children from the biological parents, Autumn and an older, unnamed boy.  Tim states that the boy was separated from his sister and given to Terry’s sister.  Regarding the separation, Tim only said, “They couldn’t keep an eye on two kids at once.”  It’s unclear at this time who has custody of Autum’s older brother.

Tim believes that Terry lied to DFCS caseworkers while they were investigating whether the children were safe in his custody, and may have concealed where they were living, and that Jessica was supervising Autumn at the time.

The traffic stop of Fox and Aman

On November 6, 2024, around 11:44 pm, a Hall County Sheriff’s Deputy initiated a traffic stop on a white 2013 Toyota Tacoma. The driver, identified as Jessie Fox, failed to yield the right of way to the patrol vehicle while turning onto the I-985 entrance ramp near Queen City Parkway.

During the stop, the deputy observed the driver reaching behind the seat and noticed a large plastic bag containing aluminum foil under his foot. Fox claimed the vehicle belonged to his recently deceased father and admitted the car had no insurance. A database check confirmed the vehicle had no valid insurance and a cancelled registration.

Because the vehicle had no insurance, it had to be towed. Per standard procedure, the officer began an inventory of the vehicle’s contents before it was towed.

Driver’s Side: The bag found under Fox’s foot contained a crystal-like substance identified as Methamphetamine. Fox claimed he did not know the drugs were there.
Passenger’s Side: Near where Rachel Aman was sitting, the deputy found a torch, cut straws, and foil.
Search of Belongings: A search of Aman’s purse revealed a glass pipe, a syringe containing an unknown liquid, more cut straws, drug residue, suspected Methamphetamine, and pills identified as Buprenorphine (a Schedule III controlled substance).

Summary of Charges

Jessie Fox (Driver)

• Traffic Violation: Failure to Yield (Turning Left).
• Criminal Charge: Possession of Methamphetamine.

Rachel Aman (Passenger)

• Criminal Charge: Possession of Methamphetamine.
• Criminal Charge: Possession of a Schedule III Substance (Buprenorphine).
• Criminal Charge: Possession of Drug Related Objects (3 counts).
• Criminal Charge: Drugs to be kept in the original container.

While this is the traffic stop that led to the arrest and incarceration of Autumn Fox’s parents, it’s unclear based on the HCSO report whether the children were in the car at the time of the traffic stop or if they were elsewhere when Terry took custody of them.

Biological parents incarcerated during the incident

Autumn Fox’s biological parents, Rachel Aman and Jessie Dillion Fox, were both incarcerated at the Hall County Jail when their daughter died. Rachel Aman, 31, had been arrested on November 6, 2024, for possession of methamphetamine. She was awaiting a revocation hearing for violating probation.

Jessie Fox, 30, was also in jail on drug charges and a probation violation for theft by shoplifting. According to Hall County Superior Court documents, Judge Jason Deal released both parents on October 27 and October 31, 2025, respectively, due to the death of their child. Both parents have a documented history of drug-related arrests.

History of violence and prior arrests

Public records show that Jessica Motes has a history of legal trouble and alleged violence. In 2015, she was arrested following a domestic dispute involving her father, Tim Motes. A police report from that incident noted she allegedly tried to hit her father, punched a hole in a wall, and threatened to shoot him. This altercation occurred in the presence of her own two children.

During the 2015 incident, Tim Motes told police his daughter was “on drugs.” Jessica was charged with terroristic threats, criminal trespass, and two counts of cruelty to children, though the cruelty charges were later dismissed.

When asked by Now Habersham about this incident, Tim seemed to have no memory of the circumstances surrounding the domestic dispute. He said his daughter Jessica has “always been good to kids and never hurt a kid.”

Current status of the case

The Motes case is currently moving forward in Hall County as a death penalty case, although the final autopsy report for 4-year-old Autumn Fox has not yet been completed. A judge declined to delay the case further and set an arraignment for July 8 at 9 a.m., with jury-related and pretrial motion hearings expected in August and September, and possible evidentiary hearings in October. Prosecutors have filed notice of their intent to seek the death penalty, and prior reporting indicates Motes rejected an offer of life without parole. She remains in custody on charges including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, first-degree cruelty to children, and concealing the death of another.