Chapel Hill teacher assistant accused in Burlington murder appears in court

BURLINGTON, N.C. (WTVD) -- A Chapel Hill teacher assistant charged with murder in the death of a man in an Alamance County sweepstakes parlor armed robbery appeared in court Monday.

Tanesha Annette Jeffries, 23, was among three people arrested in the case.

Jeffries found out Monday she will remain in jail. She can't afford an attorney so she will be appointed one. Her family sat in the front row as she appeared before a judge.

As Jeffries entered the courtroom wearing faded jail clothes her mother sobbed quietly.

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The 23-year-old Chapel Hill pre-k teaching assistant is accused of attacking and killing a security guard.

"You're here for a first appearance on the charge of first-degree murder and robbery of a dangerous weapon," the judge said Monday.

Jeffries is the sole woman arrested and charged in the crime, with two other men Anthony Cason and Jimal Jenkins. The search is on for the last suspect Shamar Holloway.

Jeffries, who had been working with Chapel-Hill Carrboro schools since September of last year, was fired last week amid the murder allegation.

School officials say, like all district employees, her background record was checked before she was hired.

On Monday, Jeffries' former principal at Northside Elementary met with staff who have been in complete shock since her arrest Friday.

What was not clear in court Monday was how Jeffries knows the other suspects and what role she played in the alleged incident.