On the morning of Friday, April 10, 2026, police in Athens, Alabama, were called to a residence in a quiet neighborhood. Inside the home, they discovered the bodies of 74-year-old Curtis Bates and 57-year-old Sabrina Bates. The couple had both sustained gunshot wounds, and a death investigation was promptly initiated by the Athens Police Department.
The home was located near the intersection of Blair Road and Watercress Drive, west of Lucas Ferry Road, and the area was secured as an active crime scene with the Limestone County Coroner's Office also present.
Curtis Daniel "Danny" Bates, a lifelong resident of Limestone County, was a veteran of the Alabama National Guard. He had retired from the Tennessee Valley Authority and had also worked as a school bus driver for Limestone County Schools. In his retirement, he found joy in farming and raising cattle and horses. Sabrina Leigh Bates had a long history of public service in Limestone County, having been employed by the Sheriff's Office, the Probate Judge's office, the Council on Aging, and the County Commission. Both were members of the Tanner Church of Christ.
As the investigation into their deaths began, authorities assured the public that there was no ongoing threat to the community. Law enforcement officials stated that the investigation was in its early stages and that they were in the process of notifying family members, limiting the immediate release of further details.
Both Curtis and Sabrina Bates were survived by their two sons, Daniel and Lucas Bates. A joint funeral service was held for the couple on Monday, April 13th, at the Spry Funeral Home Chapel, with interment following at Roselawn Cemetery. The investigation into their deaths remains ongoing, and as of now, no suspects have been named, and no arrests have been made.
