Dell Howard Tilley, a 79-year-old Black man described by family as a loving father and a pillar of his community, was shot and killed in his Tyler, Texas, home on March 25, 2024. The shooting happened about 12:30 a.m. at the family residence in the 14600 block of Park Hill Drive after an argument that had lasted several hours between Dell and his son, Christopher Keith Tilley, over the care of an injured dog Christopher had brought home. Dell’s daughter called 911 to report that her brother had shot their father; Dell’s wife heard multiple gunshots from another room. Deputies attempted life-saving measures but Dell Tilley was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy found five gunshot wounds to the chest, torso, head, and neck.

Investigators detained Christopher Tilley, then 43, at the scene; he smelled strongly of alcohol and gave inconsistent accounts, saying he acted in self-defense and remembering firing only one or two shots. Blood evidence indicated Dell was on or near the ground when shot, and investigators noted a lack of defensive injuries on Christopher that they found improbable. Authorities arrested Christopher and charged him with murder, setting bond at $750,000. Did anyone in Tyler know Dell or the family and can shed light on what happened that night?