In the early hours of a Thursday morning in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, a domestic dispute escalated into a tragic event that claimed three lives. On January 6, 2022, 29-year-old Derika Shanice McGhee and her 8-year-old son, Aiden Carter Williams, were found deceased in their home. The Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office had been dispatched to the residence around 3 a.m. following reports of a shooting.
Witnesses who had fled the home informed deputies that a man had possibly shot his girlfriend during an argument.
Upon their arrival, authorities were unable to make contact with anyone inside the house. This prompted the sheriff's office tactical unit to make entry into the residence. Inside, they discovered the bodies of McGhee, her son Aiden, and 34-year-old Darrin Lamar Patton Jr. Investigators determined that Patton, who was McGhee's boyfriend but not Aiden's father, had shot and killed both McGhee and her son before taking his own life. The incident was ruled a double murder-suicide.
Family members of Derika McGhee revealed that the tragedy was preceded by a history of domestic violence. Her aunt, Susie Patrick, spoke about her niece's long-suffering abuse at the hands of Patton and urged others in similar situations to seek help. Despite the death of the suspect, the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit proceeded with a full investigation, treating it with the same standards as any other homicide case, with the intention of submitting their findings to a grand jury for review. The deaths of McGhee and her son were the first two homicides recorded in Tuscaloosa County in 2022.
