LUBBOCK, Texas — Jeremy Atchison, 36, is in the Hockley County Jail with a bond over $1 million and is charged with the murder of his mother, Jill Atchison.
On Saturday Levelland police say officers went to Jill’s house for a welfare check and found Jeremy fleeing the scene. He was caught after a short pursuit, police found Jill’s body, and Jeremy was later arrested.
Mykayla Ortiz said Jill owned a dance studio for over thirty years, and she started taking classes when she moved to town in the second grade.
“She had a soul that was worth more than gold,” Ortiz said. “And a personality that was so perky and happy, I don’t think I ever saw Miss Jill in a bad mood.”
Sommer Coats said she took classes with Jill for years and now her daughter was doing the same. Coats said it was hard to explain the loss to her daughter, but that her little girl saw the flowers and signs left outside the studio and wanted to leave a note.
“She helped me find my purpose,” Coats said. “My talent.”