Tilford Barfield III, a 25-year-old male from Atlanta, Texas, tragically lost his life on March 25, 2017, in Texarkana, Texas. Barfield was fatally shot at the Bay Wash Car Wash on North Stateline Avenue. According to witnesses, a fight broke out at the car wash, and as Barfield watched, he was shot multiple times in the abdomen and legs. He was later pronounced dead at Christus St.
Michael Hospital.
The investigation led to the arrest of two suspects: Jimmy Jerome Dancer, 29, and Lee Lewis, 36, both of Texarkana, Texas. Dancer turned himself in at the Bi-State Criminal Justice Center the day after the shooting, while Lewis was arrested without incident at his residence on Magnolia Street. Both were charged with murder and held in the Bi-State Jail. A grand jury later indicted Dancer for the murder of Barfield.
In a plea bargain, Dancer pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 35 years in prison on September 13, 2018. The court delayed the formal sentencing to allow Barfield's family to attend. Lewis, on the other hand, has not been formally indicted in Barfield's murder. The motive for the shooting has not been publicly disclosed.
The tragic death of Tilford Barfield III and the subsequent legal proceedings highlight the serious consequences of violence and the importance of justice for the victims and their families.
