Murder Warrant Issued for Wednesday's Fatal Stabbing Inside Fatherland Street Apartment

Update: Tristen Williams is now jailed on criminal homicide, domestic assault and evidence tampering charges. His bond is set at $263,000. The murder victim has been positively identified as Douglas Dodson, 54, of Nashville.

Homicide Unit detectives this morning swore out arrest warrants charging Tristen Williams, 26, with Wednesday’s stabbing murder of a male acquaintance inside an apartment at the Fatherland Flats complex at 400 Fatherland Street.

The victim, who had reportedly been allowed to stay at the apartment by Williams, has been tentatively identified as a 54-year-old. His identity will be confirmed through fingerprints.

Williams, who is being treated at a local hospital for an arm laceration, will be arrested upon his release and charged with criminal homicide, evidence tampering, and two counts of domestic assault involving a girlfriend.
East Precinct officers responded to the apartment complex at 7:40 p.m. Wednesday after a relative of Williams arrived from Montgomery County, saw that he had a laceration to his arm, and called 911. Williams was transported by ambulance to the hospital. Officers went inside Williams’ apartment and found the deceased victim with a stab wound to the back and his throat cut.

It was clear to homicide detectives that there had been an attempt to clean blood from the floors of the apartment. The odor of bleach was present and a bottle of bleach with blood on it was found in the kitchen. Detectives discovered a large amount of blood in the back bedroom, although the victim’s body was located in an adjacent bedroom, suggesting the body had been moved. A blood trail was observed leading from the front door of the apartment, across a courtyard, and into a shared laundry room for the apartment complex. A large kitchen knife with blood on it was found in the laundry room as well as what appeared to be bloody bedding.

Williams reportedly told family members and witnesses that he was attacked by the deceased. Detectives have not yet interviewed him due to his hospitalization.