In the quiet town of Helena, Alabama, a grim discovery was made on January 19, 2022, that would shatter the community's sense of peace. Forty-year-old Sharon Tarwater Whited, a female, and her 75-year-old father, Chester E. Tarwater Jr., were found deceased inside their home on Piney Woods Drive. The tragic scene was discovered by a 12-year-old family member who had come home to find his grandfather unresponsive.
First responders were called to the residence, where they soon located both victims, who had suffered violent injuries. Sharon Whited had sustained multiple stab wounds and a gunshot wound, while her father had been shot.
The investigation quickly zeroed in on a person of interest: Sharon's 41-year-old boyfriend, John Peyton Scott III, who also resided at the home. Authorities soon discovered that Scott was missing, along with a red 2020 Ford EcoSport belonging to the victims. A manhunt ensued, and on January 24, 2022, Scott was located and apprehended in St. Augustine, Florida, while driving the stolen vehicle. He was taken into custody without incident after a PIT maneuver was performed by law enforcement.
Following his arrest, Scott was extradited back to Alabama to face capital murder charges for the deaths of Whited and her father. During a preliminary hearing, details of the crime scene emerged, painting a picture of a violent struggle. A detective testified that there was evidence of an attempt to clean up blood at the scene. Blood evidence and surveillance footage reportedly linked Scott to the murders. The court found probable cause to move the case to a grand jury, and Scott remained in custody without bond. Friends and family remembered Sharon as a devoted mother and an active member of her community, and her father as a respected Navy veteran.
