In the quiet town of Dadeville, Alabama, the evening of April 17, 2020, was shattered by a brutal act of violence that claimed the lives of a beloved couple. Willie Tidwell, a 61-year-old male, and his wife, Barbara, were found deceased in their home on North Barrett Street, both having suffered from apparent gunshot wounds. The discovery launched a double homicide investigation that would uncover a terrifying crime spree.
Willie, born on December 19, 1958, was known as a hardworking man with a heart of gold, a devoted family man who could fix anything and cherished his grandchildren immensely.
The investigation into the deaths of the Tidwells soon connected their murders to a wider string of violent crimes. Authorities identified Derrick Lee Hightower of Columbus, Georgia, as a primary suspect. Hightower was alleged to have been involved in a 36-hour crime rampage that spanned over 100 miles across Alabama. The spree reportedly began with the killing of a woman in Auburn, after which Hightower is believed to have stolen a vehicle and driven to the Tidwells' residence in Dadeville. There, in what authorities suspect was a robbery, he fatally shot both Willie and his wife.
The search for justice in the wake of this tragedy led to the arrests of Derrick Hightower and a second suspect, Kentrice Hill of Birmingham. In August 2025, a Tallapoosa County Grand Jury indicted both men on four counts of capital murder and one count of second-degree theft in connection with the deaths of Willie and Barbara Tidwell. Hightower's trial for the murders of the Dadeville couple commenced, and in December 2024, a jury found him guilty on all four counts of capital murder.
Following his conviction, the court moved to the sentencing phase. In a significant decision for the community, the judge sentenced Derrick Hightower to death for the killings of Willie and Barbara Tidwell. This marked the first time in nearly three decades that a death penalty verdict had been secured in Tallapoosa County. Hightower was also implicated in other violent crimes during his spree, including another homicide in Birmingham, for which he received a sentence of life without parole. The legal proceedings against Kentrice Hill are separate.
