Murder suspect apprehended in Earle

Suspect allegedly shot father of her 4-year-old in Memphis

By DON WILBURN

donaldfwilburn@gmail.com

Earle — A Tennessee murder suspect, Tiffany Baldwin, 38, was apprehended in Earle, Arkansas, on Thursday, December 26, 2024, during a joint law enforcement operation. Baldwin was wanted in connection with the December 19 homicide of Timm Rudolph, 58, in Lakeland, Tennessee.

Baldwin was taken into custody without incident at approximately 1p.m. during the execution of a search warrant on the 100 block of State Street. The operation was conducted by the Arkansas State Police, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Of_ce Fugitive Apprehension Team, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

The investigation began on December 18, when Shelby County deputies responded to a reported _ght at the Memphis East Campground on Justin Lake Cove in Lakeland. Upon arrival, they discovered Rudolph, the father of Baldwin’s 4-year-old daughter, deceased near his white van. He had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Witnesses reported that a woman driving a red Mazda, later identi_ed as Baldwin, had been seen at the location earlier that evening.

Authorities believe the shooting stemmed from a domestic dispute. According to a witness, Baldwin allegedly told them after the altercation, “If anything happens to me, please take my daughter to my family in Arkansas. I don’t want my daughter to see me go to jail.”

Detectives served a search warrant on the red Mazda, which Baldwin reportedly paid a local woman to use. A spent 9mm shell casing was discovered in the backseat of the vehicle, behind the driver’s seat. Investigators believe the casing is linked to Rudolph’s murder.

Baldwin is currently being held at the Shelby County Detention Center on a $500,000 bond on a charge of second-degree murder. Her next court appearance is on January 14th.

Baldwin being taken into custody in Earle by several law enforcement agencies.

Shelby County Sheriff’s Dept