In the early hours of a Sunday morning in Evansville, Indiana, a life was tragically cut short. Derrick Merrill Dye Jr., a 32-year-old male, was outside the Ponytails strip club on Columbia Street and Fares Avenue when an altercation unfolded. The date was February 11, 2024, a day that would end in devastating loss for his family and friends.
According to police reports, 27-year-old Zachary Diaz approached Dye outside the establishment.
What began as a confrontation quickly escalated into a physical struggle. During the course of this wrestle, a single, fatal shot was fired. The bullet struck Dye in the chest, inflicting a mortal wound. Emergency services were called to the scene, and Dye was rushed to Deaconess Midtown Hospital. Despite the efforts of medical staff, he was pronounced dead. The Vanderburgh County Coroner's Office would later confirm that the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the chest and officially ruled it a homicide.
The investigation into the shooting led Evansville Police to identify Zachary Diaz as the primary suspect. Later that same Sunday evening, officers located and arrested Diaz in the 2800 block of Ravenswood Drive. He was taken into custody and subsequently transported to the Vanderburgh County Confinement Center. Diaz has been formally charged with the murder of Derrick Merrill Dye Jr. The family of Dye, left to grapple with their sudden and violent loss, held a vigil in his honor to remember the man they described as a funny, family-oriented, loving, and caring individual.
