Douglas Dewayne Sparks, 49, was fatally shot on the evening of September 14, 2019, while working as a plumber at a private residence in Gadsden. A master plumber, electrician, and gas fitter for First Action Plumbing, Sparks had been working most of the day for homeowner Orva Kyle McDonald Jr., who had hired him a week earlier to repair a clogged sink and then for a larger plumbing replacement. McDonald’s wife was on the front porch and heard the shots but did not see what happened; deputies found Sparks’ body in the side yard at about 7:20 p.m.

McDonald, 61, told investigators he had no memory of the shooting or the moments before it. Investigators recovered home surveillance footage and later arrested McDonald on a murder charge, holding him on $1 million bond and ordering a psychological evaluation before any potential release on bond. Sparks is remembered by his family as a devoted husband, father, brother, and friend.

If anyone was in the neighborhood that night or has information about what the surveillance footage shows, please share what is known with investigators.