Jefferson Parish prosecutors say a man will be sentenced to life in prison after his conviction for murdering a woman in Terrytown.
"A Jefferson Parish jury... convicted Daniel Tenner of killing a Mississippi woman while robbing her during a cell phone sale arranged through social media," District Attorney’s Office Public Information Officer Paul Purpura said in a news release.
Jurors found that 21-year-old Tenner committed the first-degree murder of Morgan Tyrone.
The 24-year-old woman from Pascagoula, MS came to Terrytown after arranging to buy a phone from a woman.
"On the evening of April 10, 2022, Tyrone, her 22-year-old partner and their 13-month-old son traveled from Pascagoula to the West Bank so Tyrone could purchase an iPhone 13 for $300. Tyrone and a person she believed was a woman had been discussing the transaction through Facebook Marketplace. It was Tenner using a woman’s Facebook account.
Purpura said that Tenner directed Tyrone to an apartment complex in the 300 block of Friedrichs Road in unincorporated Gretna.
"There, Tenner approached the Tyrone’s minivan’s driver’s side window. During the ensuing discussion, he showed the phone he purportedly wanted to sell. He asked if they had the money and then asked if they had a tool with which he could remove the phone’s SIM card."
He says that Tyrone became suspicious and apparently decided not to go through with buying the phone.
"Tyrone turned away to put the cash on the minivan’s center console. That’s when Tenner brandished the pistol, pointed it at the left rear side of Tyrone’s head and shot her without provocation."
Prosecutors say Tenner then demanded Tyrone's partner give him the cash.
"He reached over Tyrone’s body to grab the cash and then ran away."
US Marshals caught Tenner in Mississippi.
"During the 1 ½-hour interview with a detective, Tenner confessed. At its conclusion, the detective left Tenner alone in the room with pen and paper. Tenner penned a statement in which he admitted shooting Tyrone but asserted he did so because she 'was grabbing something' or thought she was taking his iPhone."
Jurors watched a video recording of that interview and read Tenner’s confession.
Public defenders argued Tenner was not guilty, asserting he was armed because he was meeting strangers at night.
They told the jury that Tenner became fearful when Tyrone turned away from him and accidently fired his gun.
Jurors also found Tenner guilty of armed robbery and obstruction of justice – for discarding the murder weapon.
Judge Donald “Chick” Foret is scheduled to sentence Tenner to a mandatory life sentence in prison on Sept. 15, 2023.
The Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office did not seek the death penalty.
