Tameka Toshil Wright Spaulding, a 45-year-old African American woman, tragically lost her life on December 12, 2021, in Burlington, North Carolina. The incident occurred at a home on Cates Loop Road, where Tameka and her cousin, Delfonia Tanyette Wright, were found dead with apparent bullet wounds. The two women were believed to be cousins.
The suspect, Alfonza McDuffie, a 45-year-old African American man, was in a relationship with Delfonia Wright and had moved into the home about six
weeks prior to the incident. Investigators believe that the shooting was a result of a domestic dispute, as the women wanted McDuffie to leave the house.
On the day of the incident, a 911 call was made just before 3 p.m., reporting that two women had been shot. Deputies arrived at the scene to find Tameka Toshil Wright Spaulding and Delfonia Tanyette Wright dead. Another woman, who was present in the home at the time of the shooting, managed to escape by knocking down a door and diving through a window.
Alfonza McDuffie was arrested within five hours of the murders. He was charged with two counts of First-Degree Murder and one count of Larceny of a Motor Vehicle. McDuffie had a criminal history, including a previous conviction for Assault with a Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill in 1997 and multiple Assault on a Female charges.
The case highlighted concerns about the criminal justice system, as Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson criticized the system for allowing McDuffie to be out of jail despite his violent past. The sheriff's office had responded to an increasing number of domestic violence calls since the pandemic began, with more than 450 cases in 2020.
