Jeremy Tomlinson was a 30-year-old White man from Tacoma, Washington. Known to friends and family by the nickname "Doughboy," he was described as an outgoing person who could always make his children laugh. Like many people, he also faced personal struggles in his life.
In the first days of 2022, his life came to a violent end. Tomlinson’s sister reported him missing on January 5.
In the early morning hours of January 6, around 3:30 a.m., his body was discovered wrapped in a tarp in the 200 block of East 23rd Street. He was found near a homeless encampment located under Interstate 705. The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office later determined that he had died from multiple gunshot wounds, including to his face and thigh, and ruled his death a homicide. He was the first person to be murdered in Tacoma that year.
The investigation led detectives to a man Tomlinson had known since middle school, 30-year-old Tyrone D'Angelo Babbs Jr. According to Tomlinson’s mother, the two had a long history of problems and were known to be rivals who had at times dated the same women. A dispute over a woman was considered a possible motive. Investigators learned that the shooting had occurred inside an RV at the encampment. After the killing, the perpetrator wrapped Tomlinson’s body in a tarp and hid it nearby before setting the RV on fire on January 5. Firefighters had responded to the blaze, which left the vehicle "burned to the axles."
Through interviews, a review of social media, and a tip, detectives identified Babbs as the primary suspect. Tacoma police arrested him on April 27, 2022. During an interview with police, Babbs initially denied any involvement but later admitted to shooting Tomlinson inside the RV with a .380 caliber handgun, hiding his body, and setting the fire.
Prosecutors charged Babbs with two counts of second-degree murder, first-degree arson, first-degree manslaughter, and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. He pleaded not guilty, and a judge set his bail at $1.5 million. The case proceeded to trial, concluding in February 2024 when Tyrone D'Angelo Babbs Jr. was convicted for the murder of Jeremy Tomlinson and for arson. He was sentenced for his crimes, bringing the case to a legal close.
