On the morning of Wednesday, March 15, 2023, 55-year-old Tracy Wayne Poling Sr. was found dead inside his home on U.S. Highway 43 in Hamilton, Alabama. A family member who arrived to pick up Tracy’s son discovered Poling Sr. and the family dog, both of whom had been shot. The Marion County Sheriff’s Department opened a homicide investigation.

Authorities identified Tracy’s 28-year-old son, Austin Wade Poling, as a suspect and arrested him on charges of murder and cruelty to animals. No motive has been released publicly. The shooting is being treated as a domestic tragedy that occurred inside the family home.

If anyone knew Tracy Wayne Poling Sr., his son Austin Wade Poling, or has information about what happened that morning, please come forward to the Marion County Sheriff’s Department.