DADEVILLE, Ala. (WSFA) — Derrick Hightower, a Georgia man convicted for the 2020 murders of a Dadeville couple, has been sentenced to death. Hightower, 41, was convicted on four counts of capital murder following the deaths of 61-year-old Willie Tidwell and his 65-year-old wife, Barbara Tidwell, during a home invasion on April 17, 2020.
The jury deliberated Hightower’s fate for a day before recommending the death penalty by a 10-2 vote. Circuit Judge William Thornton immediately imposed the sentence, with Hightower to remain in prison until his execution. The execution date has yet to be set.
District Attorney Mike Segrest stated that the brutal murders were part of a wider crime spree, including other killings and violent acts committed by Hightower and his accomplice, Kentrice Hill. In addition to the Dadeville murders, Hightower and Hill were implicated in the murder of 54-year-old Nancy Nash in Auburn and a shooting in Birmingham, where Hightower killed a man and stole his vehicle.
Hightower also pleaded guilty to the Birmingham murder after a shootout with police left him injured. He was transported to Lee County Jail in January 2024 to face charges related to Nash’s death.
Segrest noted that this marks the first death penalty recommendation by a Tallapoosa County jury since 1998. The district attorney expects a lengthy appeals process following the decision.
