On a December day in 2017, the life of 87-year-old Thomas Virgil Chandler, a White male, was tragically cut short in Goodwater, Alabama. A resident of Clay County and a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War, Chandler was a beloved father and grandfather who enjoyed gardening and entertaining friends and family on his porch. His day took a fatal turn after a meal at a local restaurant and a stop at a Piggly Wiggly grocery store.
Unbeknownst to Chandler, he was being watched.
Latoni Althea Daniel and her ex-boyfriend, Ladaniel Tuck, began to follow him from the grocery store. After he drove a couple of miles down the road, they intercepted his vehicle. In a brutal act of violence, Chandler was shot multiple times, and his money and personal belongings were stolen. He passed away on Monday, December 4, 2017, at Russell Medical Center.
The investigation into Chandler's murder led to the arrests of Daniel and Tuck. Daniel was charged with capital murder in connection with the fatal robbery, accused of being the getaway driver while Tuck was accused of being the one to fatally shoot Chandler. In February 2025, Latoni Althea Daniel, then 32, pleaded guilty to one count of intentional murder and one count of first-degree robbery. A Coosa County Circuit Court Judge sentenced her to two consecutive life terms in prison with the possibility of parole.
