Duncanville Man Shot at UA Arboretum Dies, Charges Upgraded

A Duncanville man who was shot at the University of Alabama Arboretum in Tuscaloosa on Monday has died, and the Moundville woman accused of pulling the trigger has been charged with murder.

According to court documents filed on Tuesday, the victim was 39-year-old Dwight Contrell Tanker.

Tanker, a Duncanville man, was reportedly visiting the Arboretum and walking its trails with a woman. The nature preserve is in eastern Tuscaloosa near the McAbee Center and the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center about six miles away from the main UA campus and celebrates the diverse plant life found in the area.

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As Tanker and the woman emerged from the trails, he reportedly saw a vehicle he recognized as belonging to a second woman, Jone Vshal Bates, with whom Tanker shares a child.

Witnesses said Bates had a brief argument with Tanker before raising a handgun and shooting him once in the head.

The Tuscaloosa Police Department and the University of Alabama Police Department responded to the scene, and eventually the investigation was turned over to the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit.

Tanker was hospitalized at DCH Regional Medical Center and died this weekend.

Bates had already been arrested and charged with attempted murder - that charge will now be upgraded to murder in the wake of Tanker's death.

By the count of the Thread staff, the homicide is the 13th investigated by the multi-agency Violent Crimes Unit in Tuscaloosa County so far in 2025.

For more exclusive coverage of crime and courts in West Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.