True Crime with Kimbyr - Part 1: Masked Killer Guns Down Mom of 4 on Halloween in Front of Her Kids - The Murder of Tiffany James

Episode Date: October 27, 2025

On Halloween night, what should’ve been a night of costumes and candy turned into a nightmare. In this chilling episode of True Crime with Kimbyr, Kimbyrleigha unravels the heart breaking murder of Tiffany James — a devoted mother of four gunned down in front of her children by a masked assailant. Who would commit such a cold-blooded act, and why target her on Halloween? Through emotional storytelling and sharp investigation, True Crime with Kimbyr explores the secrets, suspects, and shocking twists behind this tragic case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Halloween. It's a holiday where people dress up to show off their creative or unique style and celebrate with some spooky fun. But on this Halloween, someone dressed up for a sinister reason because they wanted to hide within a crowd of people and carry out a gruesome crime at the most evil time of the year. This story is about a mother four who was living in Brandon, Florida. This is a town not too far from Tampa. I'm from Florida. If you are, let me know in the comments. And her friends called her flawless. She was very loving, busy, social. She put her faith in God.

She worked hard as a single mama and was thriving. Yamava Resort and Casino at San Manuel is California's number one entertainment destination for today's superstars. Catch the Jonas Brothers return to the Yamava Theater stage on April 30th. The powerful vocals of Demi Lovato on May 17th. And the signature Southern Country Rock of Eric Church on July 19th. Tickets on sale now at yamava Theater.com, only at Yamava Resort and Casino, celebrating its 40th anniversary. You in? Must be 21 to enter. Into one horrific and unimaginable tragedy that happened on Halloween night in 2015.

But before I get into how she died, I want to tell you how Tiffany James lived and who she was, because I could personally relate to her so much, and I'm sure a lot of you will as well. Tiffany James was born in Tampa, Florida on August 18th of 1980, to her mother Rosalind James and father, Turner Humphrey. But Tiffany didn't end up being raised by either one of her parents. Instead, she went to live with her maternal grandmother, Bula James. And therefore, she kept her mother's last name James instead of her father's last name Humphrey. Her father actually moved out to Gainesville, and eventually he started a new family with his new wife. And that meant new half-siblings for Tiffany.

But Tiffany and her siblings wouldn't get to meet one another until way, later in life. When Tiffany was a teenager, she began living with one of her aunts, Vicki Pittman, and she was like a second mother to Tiffany. Her other auntie, Barbara James, was also very involved in her life. And Tiffany graduated from Hillsborough High School. And that same year, her life changed in a very dramatic way, but in the best way possible. On July 26, 1998, she and her boyfriend, Derek Andrews, welcomed their very first son, Derek Jr. Tiffany was only 18. She was still navigating the transition from being a teenager to becoming an adult, but she stepped into the role of motherhood with grace and with dedication.

Four years later in April of 2002, Tiffany and Derek welcomed their second son, Darien, into the world. Though she was raising two young boys still finding her footing in life, it was no easy task, but Tiffany's love for children made them her very first priority. And over time, unfortunately, the romantic relationship between Tiffany and Derek naturally came to an end, as a lot of young love often does. But Tiffany was able to keep things amicable with her ex for the sake of their boys. She and Derek remained committed to co-parenting and working together to give Derek Jr. and Darian the stability and support that they needed,

ensuring they would always feel cherished by both of their parents, even though their paths had diverged. Tiffany was juggling a lot, but luckily, she had a big family willing to help. They would watch her kids while she went to school, and she went back and enrolled at rent. Remington College. This was a trade school and Hillsborough Community College, where she studied to become a licensed cosmetologist and esthetician. She was hoping to open her very own salon one day. It was actually the fact that Tiffany hadn't grown up with her own mother and father around that made her strive to be present for her own children. The struggle she had made her understand the importance of parental support. And she wanted to make sure her sons always had someone to rely on.

That really showed in how much she did for her boys. They were involved in sports. She made sure they were getting good grades, and she instilled her faith in both of them. Tiffany believed in God, and her belief system was a big part of her life, how she viewed the world, and the way that she treated other people around her. After finishing her studies, Tiffany landed a job at a doctor's office for a while, and things seemed to fall into place. Her career was off to a good start.

Her boys were growing up healthy and happy, and life felt stable. But deep down inside, Tiffany yearned for more. She longed for a loving partner, someone she could rely on, build a future with, and create the kind of family she always dreamed of, one that she didn't necessarily have for herself. For Tiffany, it wasn't just about romance. It was about finding the right man who could bring stability, love, and be a father figure and role model in her boy's lives. In 2007, Daryl Williams entered her life and everything changed. Daryl was exactly what Tiffany had been looking for, a mature, dependable man with life experience. He was already a father to older children. He knew how to care for kids and understood the responsibilities that came with being a parent. At 14 years, her senior, Daryl brought a sense of calm and steadiness that Tiffany hadn't found in her previous relationships. She actually liked that he was a little bit older.

It made her feel secure, like she finally met someone who would not let her down. And Tiffany fell quickly for Daryl. He was attentive, supportive, and kind. He was the missing piece that she had been searching for. Their relationship moved very quickly, and Tiffany couldn't help but imagine the future that they could build together. At 27 with 30 just around the corner, Tiffany dreamed of marriage and a life where she could raise her sons and maybe even expand her family. She knew that Darrell was the one, and she hoped that they would make it official by getting married. But life had its own surprises in store for them. That same year, Tiffany received unexpected news.

She was pregnant, and not just with one baby, but twins. The news left her stunned, but also excited, and what a blessing, two little girls coming into the world. Though the pregnancy was unexpected, it felt like fate was giving her a chance to build a family she always wanted. And Darrell, being equally surprised, couldn't believe it, but stood by her side ready to embrace the challenge together and even proposed to Tiffany. It was an exciting time in their lives. And for Tiffany, it was the beginning of a new chapter. Tiffany gave birth to her twin girls Diamond and Dinaya in the spring of 2000. and from the moment that they entered the world, they became the light of her life.

These little girls were not just cute. They were the kind of kids. They make you stop in your tracks and have to say how adorable they were. And with a mother like Tiffany who had an eye for fashion and a natural sense of style, the twins always looked like they had stepped right out of a children's boutique catalog. Tiffany made sure to dress her daughters to impress, always wearing the cutest matching outfits. Their hair was always stiled to perfection, whether it was bows, braids, headbands, buns, or playful ponytails. Tiffany made sure her little girls looked their best every single day and I don't know how she did it. I can hardly dress myself and I only have one new baby. Her daughters were not just her pride and joy. They were Tiffany's

motivation, her reason to keep pushing forward no matter what challenges life throughout her. Anyone who saw them could see how much she loved and cared about her children. Tiffany poured everything she had into raising them. Together, Diamond and Zinaya were Tiffany. Tiffany's mini-meas, they were little reflections of their mother's love, style, and spirit. Tiffany was beautiful. As I said, her friends called her flawless. She was always well put together, the clear skin, the beautiful hair. Everything was so on point.

Her outfit, she would pair everything with these blue contacts, and she just knew how to make anything look good. She had a playful but professional side as well, and eventually she began working as a student recruiter at a school called Ultimate Medical Academy. This was a school that offered degrees in the medical industry. Her work family was like her home away from home. She bonded with the girls that she worked with, and they became not only friends, but like sisters to her,

and that's just who Tiffany was. Someone who is always there to celebrate not only her own accomplishments, but the milestones her friends and loved ones achieved as well. She would be there at your graduation, cheering you on. She would encourage you if you were feeling down, always posting words of affirmation to her Facebook and helping to build others up. One quote she posted said,

whoever's trying to bring you down is already below you. As Tiffany's little family was growing, she was about to add four more family members to the mix. I told you in the beginning that she had half siblings. Well, eventually, when her own daughters were just a couple years old, Tiffany's father finally told his children that they had an older sister. And Tiffany was introduced to her two half sisters, Terina and Serena and her half-brothers Turner and Dorel.

Now, Tiffany and Dorel really connected. They kept in touch, and Dorell actually looked towards Tiffany whenever he needed anything, whether it was just advice, or he wanted to confide in her about something, or Tiffany was just giving him that sisterly encouragement. Her half-sisters were also excited because they didn't grow up with a big sister. So this was all very new and exciting and fun. And soon Tiffany and her four kids were making trips up to Gainesville to celebrate holidays, birthdays, and events with her brothers and sisters and their families. Even though Tiffany had gained new relationships, the one with Daryl wasn't strong enough to stay.

the test of time. And after about five years together, they decided to go their separate ways. By 2012, Tiffany was a single mom again, but it seemed like she was stronger than ever. She moved into an apartment of her own in Providence Lakes apartment complex at 1807 Chapel Tree Circle in the town of Brandon. She also got a new job. She was working as a hairstylist at a local salon. She'd promote her services on Facebook and Instagram under the name Tiffany Hair Royal. She posted a graphic that had those checkboxes. I'm sure you've seen them on the left side. And it would say single taken and hers would say, or busy doing hair.

And it was checked off as busy doing hair because that is what Tiffany was focusing on. Her clients loved her. They look forward to their appointments and Tiffany loved making them look and feel their best. As a matter of fact, Tiffany was even asked to offer her time and services at the look good, feel better class for women with cancer. This is a workshop that's led by licensed cosmetologist who do in-person workshops to help women with cancer manage their appearance-related side effects of their cancer treatments. Tiffany was so proud and honored to be a part of this cause. Tiffany had also started attending networking events, specifically one called SWAT or successful women around Tampa. She would take her kids to church on Sundays at Rivers of Life Ministries, and the twins even attended Villa Madonna Private Catholic School.

The tuition there is not cheap. Nowadays, it's over $7,000 per year per student. And I'm not sure what it was back in 2013, but Tiffany worked hard to make sure the girls were getting a quality education. They were also in cheerleading. And the boys played sports as well, and they maintained good grades. Tiffany even posted Derek Jr.'s high school report card to her Facebook, showing off what a great student he was.

She said, quote, My baby just keeps making his mom a proud. first year in high school and he still managed to keep his 3.0 GPA, play sports, and participate in extracurricular activities. Then he told me, mom, this is just the beginning. I'm shooting for a 4.0. And I replied, the sky's the limit baby. She thanked the Lord for blessing her with awesome kids and said that failure is not an option for her or in her house. Tiffany even got a personal trainer. She was working out on a regular basis at the gym. And when she wasn't working on her career or herself, any extra time she had she spent with her kids.

Either time at home with them, taking them bowling to the circus, the fair, out to eat, lunch, or dinner, anything to make them smile. She posted a quote along with pictures of all of her kids that said, successful mothers are not the ones who have never struggled.

They're the ones who never give up despite the struggles. With the caption, My Motivation and Inspiration. Somehow, juggling all that she did, Tiffany still found some me time, which often just meant watching an episode of criminal minds and having a strawberry margarita. That sounds like fun to me.

She called it priceless and she hashtag this is the good life. I'm sure a lot of us can relate. Sometimes it's just the little things. Other times, she would make a whole night of it and go out with her girlfriends and look fabulous while doing it. When the twins were at their dad's house and her and her girls had a little more free time, they would get dressed up and have a night out on the town. But of course, Tiffany was feeling that familiar feeling like her life wasn't complete without a partner to share it with, a man. So she was looking for Mr. Wright and was hopeful that she would meet someone that matched her ambition and her dedication to her family.

But she wasn't interested in settling. Just like her Facebook post from February 10th, 2014 said, it's better to be single with high standards than in a relationship settling for less. In the meantime, though, she was enjoying the same. a single mama life, and that kept her busy enough. In March of 2014, Tiffany celebrated the twins' birthday at the Nickelodeon Hotel in Orlando. Then in March, it was Darien's 13th birthday. Her aunt Vicky and her husband came out to celebrate with the family. Tiffany went all out for birthdays and celebrations. She got a custom Nike sneaker cake and a matching custom balloon set for

her son, and they all sat at this long table on the upper balcony area of Maggiano's Italian restaurant. It was such a great time. Even Tiffany's grandma came, even though she wasn't feeling well, the one who raised her. She said she wouldn't miss it for the world. Tiffany posted pictures from that night saying, quote, God favors me and minds. Thank you to all of my family and friends that came out for Darius 13th birthday dinner. He was extremely happy, and that's all that mattered to me. One monkey don't stop in a show, the show went on with those that mattered the most, end quote. So what I'm assuming from this post was someone either didn't come as expected or tried to ruin their evening somehow. It doesn't say who she was referring to by

giving the emoji of a monkey. It could have been Daryan's father, Derek. I'm not sure. But either way, Tiffany didn't let anyone spoil the evening. Tiffany and the kids had a really fun spring break after this and she spent one night on a casino cruise with all of her friends and a girl's night out. She had a dinner with the twins and then she went jet skiing with her sons in June. Diamond and Dinaia had their kindergarten graduations pictures taken. And that same month, Tiffany's father actually got together with her and the kids. So the summer was off to a great start. In July, the twins wore matching blue caps and gowns and officially completed their kindergarten year.

They posed for really cute pictures with their brothers standing behind them. It's really hard to believe with so much love and happiness that it was all going to be destroyed. Tiffany's next summer would be her last. But there was no way anyone could have predicted that. That August, Tiffany turned 34, and by the spring of the next year in 2015, she had her own hairstyling business at Pure Elegance Beauty Lounge, telling her Facebook friends to like her new business page. Tiffany was offering professional hairstyling as a certified hair loss specialist. She specialized in celebrity hair extensions for all hair types, elegant and classy styles,

natural hair, relaxers, custom hair coloring, healthy hair maintenance, eyelashes, and even makeup. This was the beginning of Tiffany's dream. of owning her very own salon one day. She was one step closer and even closer to another dream as well. That summer, 2015, she bumped into an old friend. And for clarity, we are going to be calling him Ben. Because I don't want this to get even more confusing.

We already have a Derek and a Darrell and a diamond and a Denia. So Tiffany and Ben reconnected. He was someone she was already familiar with. So there wasn't really that weird awkward stage where you have to kind of break the ice at the beginning of a new relationship. And Ben was also a. single parent. The two of them could relate to what that was like. They started off as friends,

but soon things progressed and then they were officially dating. I noticed during this time, Tiffany was posting a lot less on Facebook. There wasn't many photos of her and the kids or her new man. It was mainly quotes and a lot of illustrations of a lion. And this was because she was a Leo. She did, however, post on Instagram a few times alluding to spending time with her boyfriend. One picture was of him and her with their heads together, who was kind of like, like kissing her neck, but he wasn't showing his face. I think she was still kind of taking it slow before showcasing her new boo. But on October 1st, 35-year-old Tiffany changed her cover photo on Facebook to a picture of a man and a woman's hands clasped together on top of a Bible,

wearing wedding rings and matching Rolex watches. This, I was guessing, was an inspirational picture, something she could look forward to because we know Tiffany is a woman of God. She wants a forever type of love rooted in faith, but she also wanted to prosper. This was a perfect example of her goals. And someone even commented that her finger was stuck on the love button. Those close to her knew that she was in a good place with Ben. And Tiffany had a lot of hope for the future, but we know that her life will be cut short. And all the dreams she had for her life would end at the hands of a monster. I knew about investing, but I really didn't know how to go about it. Meet Corey, a Walthfront client. With Welfront, it could put

money in and it would automatically distribute it into a diversified portfolio. Then it starts to compound. The compounding compounds on the compounding. Just let it wrong and it's great. Over one million clients trust wealthfront. Get started at wealthfront.com. Client was paid $1,000 for their testimonial, creating a conflict of interest. Outcomes vary. Investment management and advisory services provided by Wealthfront Advisors LLC and SEC registered investment advisor. Investing involves risk to principle regardless of the strategy used. Task performance does not guarantee future results. Gearing up for Halloween, the twins picked out their costumes for trick-or-treating. The year before, they went as Supergirl and the other as a zebra. And forgive me for not being able to tell them apart

they look identical to me. But this year, one of them went as a police officer and the other was a fairy and they looked adorable. Since they lived in an apartment complex and generally that's not the best place for trick-or-treating, the plan was to get together with friends and go to a nearby neighborhood to collect candy and spend some time together before heading back home. Tiffany snapped a picture of the girls and posted it to our Instagram with a caption, Happy Halloween, before the trio got into Tiffany's car and headed out. Brandon, Florida, attracts a lot of families.

It has affordable living, great public and private schools, safe neighborhoods, and the crime rate is below the national average. It's a place where residents feel safe walking on the street at night, especially on a holiday like Halloween, when hundreds of people are in the streets going door to door for some treats. If you look at a bird's eye view,

this is a very residential area, homes all around close to where Tiffany lived. It was bound to be a fun night for everyone. But let's jump to around 11 p.m. later that Halloween night. A woman living in the Providence Lakes apartment complex, a few doors down from Tiffany, was settled in on her living room couch, engrossed in a marathon of horror movies, which made what happened next even more eerie and unsettling.

Out of nowhere, there was a thunderous boom that echoed through the walls of her apartment, which snapped her right out of being fixated on the screen of the TV. She realized it was someone banging on her front door. Before she could jump up and look out the people, the door suddenly burst wide open with a startling force and slammed against the wall. This was terrifying. It's Halloween night. It's dark. She's watching horror movies.

She inched near the opening, curious to find out what was going on. When she cautiously peeked out, she couldn't believe what she was looking at. Right there outside her front door was a figure straight out of a horror movie. It was a person dressed head to toe in black, wearing a white hockey mask, just like Jason Vorese, the villain in the Friday the 13th movies. But it was how he was looming over someone else who was lying on the ground that was so horrifying. It seemed like more of a nightmare than real life. Before this neighbor could process what was happening, she noticed something else, what looked like a gun in the figure's hand. She was gripped with fear, so she grabbed her door and she slammed it shut.

as soon as she was inside, she heard the first bang ring out. The unmistakable sound of a gunfire. She was frozen in place hiding on her floor of her apartment, and then two other shots rang out back to back. She could not believe that this was happening at her house in front of her door. It was common for someone to knock on your door on Halloween night, opening it up to see a person in costume. But this, this was like nothing she could have ever imagined.

This wasn't a Halloween prank. or someone tricking her, it was real. After it had been quiet for a few minutes, the woman heard a gentle tapping on her door. She was scared, but at the same time concerned, because she could also hear what sounded like whimpering. Could it have been this wounded person on the other side? She didn't know.

So she crawled over quietly and cautiously looked out her front window. And that is when she saw a familiar face. It was one of her neighbor Tiffany James' seven-year-old twin daughters, knocking on her door. She went over and she slowly opened it up. And that's when she noticed that the little girl was covered in blood. And the neighbor looked down and realized the person on the ground, bleeding profusely now, was Tiffany James. The neighbor quickly grabbed the little girl. She pulled her inside to safety, closing the door and locking it behind them. This is unbelievable. Can you imagine yourself in that moment? It's nothing you would ever expect. But then just moments like,

later, there was yet another knock on her front door. And again, the neighbor looked out to find Tiffany's other little seven-year-old daughter on the other side. She let her in, and then she examined both of them to make sure that they were not harmed. Both of the girls were sadly covered in their mother's blood, but they were thankfully unharmed. But this blood was all over their costumes. It was in their hair. There was even blood in one of little Dania's ears. Clearly, they had been very close to their mother.

when she was shot. As the neighbors trying to wrap her brain around what has just happened, she eventually does of course call 911. She and a bunch of other residents of the apartment complex were calling in. Each person had their own account of what they heard or saw. In this heavily populated community like this, with units close together, especially on a night like Halloween,

a lot of people were still awake when the shooting occurred, and they had information to provide. Now, we're going to come back to the witnesses, but emergency services and police, were on their way. First responders arrived to find a black female lying on the ground in a pool of blood with significant trauma, and it appeared to be from at least two gunshot wounds. The neighbor identified the victim as 35-year-old Tiffany James. She was then rushed to Tampa General Hospital, and of course, a bunch of neighbors are now outside. They're standing around. They're wanting to know

what happened. Police are taping off the area with yellow crime scene tape, and they're looking for clues. Emergency room doctors at the hospital could immediately tell that Tiffany had sustained significant wounds and trauma to her head and her upper body. They knew this wasn't from a handgun. It was more like a shotgun. And unfortunately, no matter how hard they tried to save Tiffany's life, she died from her injuries that night. This was a homicide. And the lead detective on the case was Moises Garcia. In his 14 years as a detective, he had never investigated a Halloween homicide.

Detective Michael Blair and Corporal Bailey assisted Garcia in canvassing the Providence apartment complex. Both Garcia and Blair were fathers. Detective Blair had actually just been out trick-or-treating with his own children when he got this call to respond to the scene. And Garcia not only had two sons close to Diamond and Did I his age, they were also twin boys. So this was a very emotional situation for the detectives. It hit really close to home. When the detectives arrived at the neighbor's apartment, they knew this was going to be a very delixtive. situation, since they were going to be speaking with two seven-year-olds, and one of these little girls couldn't even speak. She was trying, but there were no words coming out of her mouth.

They were both in shock. As I know that you can imagine, the first thing that Detective Blair thought while he's witnessing this heart-wrenching situation was that he would not stop until he figured out who did this. Who took this mother away from her children? By now, Tiffany's family members were actually showing up at the scene. The heartbreak was palpable. And what made this moment even more devastating was that Tiffany's twin daughters were the ones who called their family members from the neighbor's apartment to tell them what had happened to their mother. It's hard to imagine the emotional weight these young girls had to carry and were forced to convey this tragic news to their family members. When it was time for officers to bring the twins out to safety, they had to take extra precautions. They didn't want the children to see the blood that had stained the ground outside where their mother had just been killed.

To shield them from the grim scene, the officers gently wrapped the girls in blankets before guiding them out. For the time being, the twins and their brothers were placed under the care of Bula James, Tiffany's grandmother, alongside their aunt Vicki, a temporary arrangement meant to give them care and comfort that they needed after such a traumatic ordeal. Now the crime scene investigators were on the scene. They were taking photos and collecting evidence, and there on the ground was a Louis Vuitton-looking brown handbag with a broken beige strap. It was just a few feet away from where Tiffany's body was found. It's Tiffany's purse and scattered near its opening was a pile of her belongings, including some cash, coins, a bottle of body mist, a lipstick, a couple of lip gloss tubes,

apple earbuds, a small lotion bottle, weave glue, a coupon, her driver's license, a Vaseline lip glass pot, a comb, a peppermint candy, a pair of gold hoop earrings, and glasses that Tiffany normally wore. When I saw this picture, my heart sank because it reminded me of the things that most of us would have in our bags. And I could relate so much that it really made me sad. Just seeing all of her personal belongings just thrown out like that. There was obviously a struggle of some kind due to the strap of Tiffany's purse being broken and everything flying out. But nothing seemed to be taken from inside.

So they ruled out a robbery being the motive for the shooting. This was such a brutal crime. It didn't make sense or match a simple robbery for some cash or even a handbag. They didn't take her car either, so this wasn't a carjacking. Instead, it really seemed like Tiffany had been targeted, especially after speaking with witnesses. But what the detectives did know was that she had been shot with a shotgun. They knew that and could confirm because there were these big yellow shotgun shells on the ground nearby.

But there just wasn't a lot of evidence at the scene. So they were relying on witnesses to paint a picture of what happened that Halloween night. One witness said she looked out of her apartment when she heard yelling. She saw the masked man. quickly coming up towards Tiffany with her kids right by her side. She even saw the gun, and then she went back inside to call 911, so she only heard the gunshots. She didn't see what happened, but she felt bad for the twins.

She was praying that they were going to be okay, that everyone was going to be okay, but Tiffany, of course, was not. Another neighbor said that he and his girlfriend were watching a movie when they heard a really loud sound like a gunshot, so he immediately got up, he stopped the movie, so they could sit and listen. and that's when they heard what sounded like a child screaming. Multiple people actually reported seeing a person dressed in black wearing a Jason mask running up behind Tiffany and her girls.

Others only heard the gunshots and looked out afterward to see Tiffany lying on the ground. Some saw the person fleeing on foot, but no one could tell the ethnicity of the shooter or whether it was a man or a woman, but they were about 5'7 to 6 feet tall, 200 to 220 pounds. And that stature is standing.

to be of a man, but the community was in shock. Because just a couple hours earlier before all this unfolded, there were so many kids right outside and enjoying the fun of Halloween. If the shooting had been any earlier, those poor kids either could have witnessed it and been traumatized, or they could have been caught in crossfire. Some witnesses say that they saw a silver-colored vehicle near where the shooting took place, but it apparently sped away right after the first gunshot went off. Detectives had no way of knowing if this person inside the car had been just a witness who got scared or if they were involved somehow. But the car wasn't seen leaving the entire community until after the person in the adjacent mask was fleeing the scene. So detectives are going

to wonder if maybe this car was waiting for them, like as the killer's getaway car. The next thing they did was look for CCTV footage, but the parking lot was not equipped with cameras. And no one was able to get down a license plate for that silver car. They were working on building a theory of this murder, and they thought that the killer could have planned and targeted Tiffany, which meant they could have chosen Halloween night so that they would blend in, wearing a costume. They'd be covered by the darkness of the night and wouldn't tip anyone off that they were up to no good, because it was Halloween. And they'd be among a lot of other people that were dressed up. Or maybe they wanted to disguise themselves from Tiffany specifically, so it would be easier to ambush her.

Of course it was difficult, but Tiffany's family knew that they needed to give detectives as much information about her as they could. They were all in shock. They were heartbroken and they were grieving. But the detective's first line of questioning was what Tiffany's normal routine was like and what was she like. And of course, whether there was any men in Tiffany's life. And if so, if they had any issues with Tiffany. They were informed that Tiffany often worked long hours at her student recruitment job at Ultimate Medical Academy or at the salon. And on the late work days, her aunt Vicky would pick up the twins from school.

But as soon as Tiffany would arrive home from work around seven or eight, the twins were always excited to greet her. Then they would make their way back to Tiffany's apartment. They told detectives everything I've already told you about who Tiffany was and what she was like, but added that she shied away from talking about her problems with relatives. She was a kind of person who liked to try to handle things on her own, her aunt Vicky said, but the family did what they could to help whenever they knew she was struggling. And sadly, Vicky added another detail, and it was very sad.

She explained how Diamond actually fell on top of her twin sister, Denaya, that night, to shield her and protect her from the gunshots. That is so extremely brave in this unbelievable moment that she thought back quickly. But both of these little girls had witnessed the killer shooting their mother, something that were sure to leave a lasting mark on them, forever tainting Halloween night. The detectives were also informed that there were several men in Tiffany's life. But the most significant and recent men that she was involved with were the ones I told you about.

Derek Andrews, Daryl Williams, and who I'm referring to as Ben. Two of them were exes, Daryl and Derek. And Ben was the most current boyfriend. There had been issues in both of her relationships in the past with Derek and Daryl. And she was with both of them for about five to seven years each. And she had two children with both of them. The two boys were with Derek. and the two twins with Daryl. Tiffany's family tells investigators that he was the more recent ex,

and Tiffany had broken up with him a couple years earlier because she caught him cheating. But they honestly didn't think any of these men would have a reason to kill Tiffany or be capable of such a horrific crime. Detectives still have to roll them out, and you already know as a avid true crime consumer, intimate partner violence is one of the top reasons why women are killed. The men closest to Tiffany have to be interviewed and fast. Detectives are already at Tiffany's most recent boyfriend Ben's house at 4 o'clock in the morning, and right when they pull up, they're on guard. Because first of all, it's super early in the morning, yet they see a light on and an open garage door outside.

And there's a man pacing back and forth. As the officers walk up, they're not sure what to expect. Ben looks up and tells the detectives that he's been waiting for them. That's a really odd thing to say. And that's when detectives notice there's a firearm. It's out of its case. It's within arm's reach of where Ben is. And they can tell he looks distressed and wonder if this is Tiffany's killer.

Ben begins to explain that he was notified hours ago about his girlfriend's murder. He got a call from her family and he swore he had nothing to do with it. Instead, he said that he's terrified that he's going to be next and he's afraid for his life and the life of his children, which is why he's standing on guard in his garage, just armed and ready for anything. The detectives asked Ben if he's willing to speak with them about what he knows and he agrees. And he even agrees to be tape recorded at the time right there in his garage. He explains that he has an alibi for the night of Tiffany's murder and that all he wants is to get his kids far away from here as soon as possible. Because he's scared that whoever did this to Tiffany probably had something against her and he was the closest person to her at the time.

The detectives can tell that Ben is genuinely upset and fearful and his alibi checked out. He provided the detectives with a timeline of what Tiffany was doing before the killing took place. He explained that he and Tiffany took their kids trick-or-treating together in his neighborhood. She drove over. They set out on foot, collecting candy and having a great time together. He said that Tiffany and the girls actually planned to spend the night at his place at Saturday night since it was the weekend. They were just going to run home, change out of their costumes, and come right back. But after a while, they never showed up.

and he called and called Tiffany's phone, but she never answered. So he didn't know what happened until after that night when he got that phone call that she had been shot. The detectives asked Ben if Tiffany seemed on alert or worried about anything that night. And he said, no, not at all. She was happy. She was having a great time with the girls. They were just trick-or-treating.

Then they asked if she had any issues with anyone. And Ben said that Tiffany thought that she was being stalked. She was still trying to figure out by who. But Ben says they should check out her exes. Maybe they took issue with her moving on and having a new man in her life. He mentioned that some strange things had happened to Tiffany in the past couple months and that she was worried that someone was lurking around and possibly trying to scare her or even hurt her. For example, her car started acting up.

It just wasn't driving correctly. So she brings it into the mechanic. And that's when they inform her that somebody had poured ammonia into her gas tank. Now, usually if someone wants to ruin an engine, they would actually use hydrogen peroxide. They'd put that in your fuel tank, which could even cause a fire. But ammonia could cause erosion. And according to the mechanic, her car would need to be flushed out so she had to pay for it because it can do damage to your vehicle.

Even that night on Halloween, Ben said that at one point, he noticed a black car with dark tinted and windows kind of creeping slowly behind them as they walked through his neighborhood. That doesn't match the vehicle that witnesses say they saw leave. leaving Tiffany's apartment complex. But the fact that Tiffany was worried about a stalker is the lead for these detectives. Except Ben offers one more detail that is chilling, given what the detectives already know about Tiffany's killer.

He said that there was a white Jason mask hanging from the black car's rear view mirror. That's weird. That's a big clue.