'Fifteen years is not justice': Slain pregnant woman's family unhappy with murderer's sentence

Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter/ Candles burn during a vigil for Quintasia Tate at the Rainbow Creek apartment complex on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Tate, 19, was killed on Aug. 26th.
Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter/ Candles burn during a vigil for Quintasia Tate at the Rainbow Creek apartment complex on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Tate, 19, was killed on Aug. 26th.

JeMichael Powell was sentenced on Tuesday to 15 years in prison for the killing of the 19-year-old mother to-be of his child, a sentence her mother doesn't feel is just.

The 27-year-old shot and killed Quintasia Tate just after midnight on Aug. 26 in front of her apartment in the 7600 block of Standifer Gap Road, according to Hamilton County Assistant District Attorney Lee Ortwein. Tate was 16 weeks pregnant at the time.

That night, Powell messaged Tate on Facebook letting her know he was outside her apartment and asked for her to come outside to speak with him, according to a police report.

The last message he sent to Tate was at 12:29 a.m. It said, "Walkin up."

Shortly after, an argument broke out, Ortwein said in court Tuesday. Powell had a girlfriend or two in his car at the time, "which probably ignited the argument."

"He pulled out a firearm and shot her - killed her," Ortwein said.

A witness later told police that Powell said he had gone to see Tate "to scare her." He "shot at her and then fled in [an] orange Nissan Altima," according to the police report.

Chattanooga police found Tate lying face down in the grass, the report states. She was taken to a local hospital and died shortly after.

photo Age at Arrest: 27 Date of Birth: 04/16/1992 Arresting Agency: Chattanooga Last Date of Arrest: 09/18/2019 Charge(s): CRIMINAL HOMICIDE UNL. CARRYING OR POSSESSING WEAPON

The fetus, according to the [Hamilton County] medical examiner, was not viable at that time," Ortwein said.

Powell fled from police for nearly a month. He was added to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's Most Wanted list and finally captured on Sept. 18.

Tate left behind three other young children - a boy and two girls.

Her family organized a candlelight vigil in the parking lot of her apartment complex three days after her death. Tealight candles on the cement spelled out #LLTasia J4T, meaning "long live Tasia" and "justice for Tasia."

VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENT

“What kind of person would call another person out there to their home and then kill them? That’s what a monster would do. Not only did you kill my child, but you killed yours, too. You took two lives from me. You took away a mother, a daughter, a sister, a cousin, a best friend from us. You need to remain locked up and never get out. What is 15 years? That’s nothing. Life in jail would be nice for you. It’s not fair that when I want to see my child, I have to go to the grave. Or take her kids to the grave to see their mom. You should be in the ground so your kids can go see you there. I feel like I’m the only one that wants justice. I don’t feel like my DA’s team is fighting for me. All I want is justice. Fifteen years is not justice. Three kids have to grow up not knowing about their mom.” - Letisha (Terry) Tate, mother of the victim

"[Powell] didn't have to do that," Tate's uncle said at the time, his voice quiet with emotion. "Should have just left her alone. It was so unnecessary."

Family members did not want to be identified for fear of reprisal.

"All she wanted was to be loved, and this is pure love right here," another family member said.

"We are not out for revenge," her uncle said. "We are out for justice, but not revenge. Please, let's keep the peace and not allow this to continue to happen."

On Tuesday, Powell pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, a Class A felony punishable by 15-60 years in prison. He received a 15-year sentence, which is said to be served at 100%. But if he is well-behaved he could reduce his sentence by 15%, according to Tennessee law. That means he could serve a minimum of 12.75 years. (He also faces a federal firearms charge, which could add another five years to his sentence, according to Ortwein.)

Tate's mother, Letisha Tate, wrote a victim impact statement after Powell's guilty plea. But she couldn't bring herself to read it. A police department victim services coordinator read it for her.

"What kind of person would call another person out there to their home and then kill them?" Letisha Tate asked. "That's what a monster would do.

"Not only did you kill my child, but you killed yours, too. You took two lives from me ... What is 15 years? That's nothing. Life in jail would be nice for you."

Powell was charged with second-degree murder because the evidence showed that it was more a crime of passion, Hamilton County District Attorney's Office spokesman Bruce Garner said.

"Getting a conviction for the family was our top priority," Garner added. "We would have liked a stiffer sentence, too, but we got the conviction and did the best we could based on the case we had."

But for Letisha Tate, that's not enough.

"It's not fair that when I want to see my child, I have to go to the grave," she wrote. "Or take her kids to the grave to see their mom ... I feel like I'm the only one that wants justice. I don't feel like my DA's team is fighting for me. All I want is justice. Fifteen years is not justice. Three kids have to grow up not knowing about their mom."

A tense Powell, shackled and dressed in a red jumpsuit, was taken away through the back of the courtroom. He looked to Tate's family as he walked through the door.

Contact Rosana Hughes at rhughes@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6327 with tips or story ideas. Follow her on Twitter @HughesRosana.

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