George Bruce Bowles, 56, was found dead inside his Dillwyn, Virginia, home on Plank Road after a 911 call to the Buckingham County Emergency Operations Center. The call, made around 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, came from Tanya Whetzel, who told dispatch she had just shot her husband. Deputies and emergency medical personnel arrived and Bowles was pronounced dead at the scene; his body was sent to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond for autopsy.

Tanya Whetzel was taken into custody without incident at the residence. She was later arrested and charged with first-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and discharging a firearm within an occupied building, and is being held without bond at the Piedmont Regional Jail in Farmville. Authorities described the shooting as an isolated incident and said there is no ongoing threat to the community.

Bowles was a logger who enjoyed hunting and fishing and was known for his knowledge of the woods and his strong faith. If anyone knew George, his routines, or saw anything relevant on Plank Road the evening of August 5, please come forward with information.