When someone set Jessica Chambers on fire in Panola County, Mississippi, they couldn’t have known how much would get scorched before it was all over. A country cries out for justice for the teen who was burning alive when paramedics found her, but died later before identifying her attacker.
In the days since the brutal murder of Jessica Chambers hit the news, the public has watched local officials muddle their way through an investigation that seemed to go nowhere.
“There’s just not a lot of street talk out there about who may or may not have done this,” the District attorney on the case said. “We feel like somebody out there has heard something. In all the years I have done this, this is an absolutely horrendous, horrendous case.”
Then the hacktivist group Anonymous got on the case. Suspicions of local gang involvement were laid out by individuals who did not ned to wait for warrants before grabbing clues. A trail of possibilities was laid out on Twitter for the world to see. The Anonymous operation was initially called “OperationJessicaC.”
Soon, the FBI came to town and took over the investigation. Anonymous claimed the Feds were there in response to their own emails to them, laying out clues. The name of the Twitter account Anonymous used was changed to “OperationJessicaComplete.”
Sheriff's Office confirms FBI has been called in to help #JusticeforJessica More Like They Got Our Email and went WTF!!!!
— JessicasLight (@0Hour1) December 15, 2014
Items were removed from the home of Jessica Chambers – by the FBI. #JusticeforJessica
— Beau Eldon (@BeauEldon) December 16, 2014
"Who committed this crime know we are here for them, and we won't be leaving without them." – FBI #JusticeforJessica pic.twitter.com/o6iiYzjh7r
— Beau Eldon (@BeauEldon) December 16, 2014
#JusticeforJessica The FBI Loves Social Media Tossing Pics Out No Search Warrant Needed 🙂
— JessicasLight (@0Hour1) December 16, 2014
Anonymous changed the focus of their operation to hit a particular gang structure called “Gangster Disciples.” The operation name changed again to “JessicasLight.”
Heres Are List So Far Key Players In The Lists #JusticeforJessica I Love Social Media 🙂 I Give You The Panola Chapt pic.twitter.com/i38QLICqjO
— JessicasLight (@0Hour1) December 17, 2014
DISCIPLES YOUR DAY OF TARGETING WOMAN AND CHILDREN ARE OVER #JusticeforJessica WELCOME TO YOUR NEW TURF WAR CYBERSPACE
— JessicasLight (@0Hour1) December 17, 2014
AT THIS POINT FORWARD OUR OP HAS CHANGED WE WILL BE GOING AFTER THE FINANCES OF THE DISCIPLES #JusticeforJessica
— JessicasLight (@0Hour1) December 17, 2014
The Anonymous investigation has turned up what appears to be a gang affiliation structure that they promise to compile and release. They have also been grabbing screenshots from social media accounts of people they claim are gang members possibly involved in Jessica Chambers’ murder. Some of these accounts have been shut down recently. But, as Anonymous points out, you can’t really get rid of anything once it’s been posted.
Wow facebook accounts of known gang members are being scrubbed fast to bad they are all archived dim wits #JusticeforJessica
— JessicasLight (@0Hour1) December 18, 2014
In this Facebook post, a particularly disturbing notion is floated:
“Somebody needs to rape all they kids in front of them then set them on fire there learn then white bitches need to be dead”
Gang Link Yah #JusticeforJessica Welcome to #Anoymous Smile
#JusticeforJessica pic.twitter.com/DwYjelJUQY
— JessicasLight (@0Hour1) December 17, 2014
One of the people caught at the heart of the fracas is Ali Alsanai. Jessica Chambers’ last known whereabouts before being found burning was at a gas station that Alsanai worked at and is owned by his family. Anonymous claims that this gas station is a hub of gang activity. Some amateur sleuths poked around in security camera footage from the gas station and raised questions about sections of video that seemed to be missing.
Some accused Alsanai of hiding what he knows about gang activity at the gas station.
Ali Alsanai TOLD not to give names of those hanging around gas station that night, by gang. #JusticeForJessica pic.twitter.com/J7miOXxBOV
— Beau Eldon (@BeauEldon) December 17, 2014
"No drugs at the gas station, Ali Alsanai? I could go and buy some now at THE gas station." Courtland resident. #JusticeforJessica
— Beau Eldon (@BeauEldon) December 17, 2014
Alsanai has been cleared as a primary suspect, his whereabouts accounted for at the time of the Chambers attack. Still Alsanai has had to deal with a lot of heat on social media. On his own Facebook page, Alsanai’s friends are celebrating his being cleared of the murder.
Alsanai is keeping his head up.