Dateline NBC: What happened to Tiffany Pugh?

Tiffany Pugh
What happened to Tiffany Pugh? (Image via NBC)

The 2014 murder of Tiffany Pugh is the focus of the latest Dateline NBC episode. The wife of the popular strip club deejay Andre Pugh and mother of two was shot to death at close range in a murder-for-hire plot laid down by the husband himself.

The authorities were alerted by Andre in the early hours and responded to the scene to find Tiffany's two-year-old son straddling his dead mother's body. Andre and Tiffany had been undergoing marital difficulties and an impending divorce, according to court documents.

The Dateline NBC episode titled Sound and Fury looks into the brutal execution at the hands of Pugh's best friend, Adrian Harley, who was hired for the hit. The official synopsis reads:

"When the wife of a popular Atlanta DJ is found murdered in her home, detectives try to unravel what led to her killing."

Episode 39 of Dateline's ongoing season 32 airs on May 10, 2024, at 9 pm EST on NBC exclusively.


What happened to Tiffany Pugh? Details explored

Tiffany Pugh, a successful employee with Delta Airlines, was found shot to death around 6 am local time on November 23, 2014. Her husband, Andre Pugh, reportedly mentioned getting a call from his alarm company around 5:50 am local time, according to The Atlanta-Journal Constitution.

Andre, better known as DJ Awesome, had been performing at Club Onyx the same night. He was on his way to another strip club on Campbellton Road when he received the alert and allegedly found his wife's cell unresponsive. Andre dialed 911 and informed the operator about a possible break-in.

The first responders at the scene found Andre outside their East Point home, waving at them, saying:

“My kids are in there. She is not picking up the phone.”

As reported by CBS News, Tiffany suffered two gunshot wounds fired at close range—one to her chest and one to her eye. Another bullet had hit the wall instead of Tiffany. The NBC News correspondent Stephanie Gosk reported on the case, saying:

“Tiffany Pugh was shot and killed in her own bed. A 30-year-old mother with her whole life ahead of her. But beyond the cruelty of killing her, [she was shot when her] two small children were in the home."

The authorities found no shell casings or fingerprints at the crime scene. However, they believed it to be a home invasion gone wrong when they noticed a cut window screen in the dining room downstairs, as per court records. They soon ruled it as murder when they found no valuables stolen.


How did the authorities find Tiffany Pugh's killer?

The neighbor's surveillance camera turned out to be useful as the East Point Police Department found the recording of a black car circling the block and parking in front of Pughs' residence around 4:45 am local time. The police brought Andre in for questioning and began suspecting him when he left out important details such as the deteriorating nature of their marriage.

Andre Pugh's call records led the detectives to his best friend, Adrian Harley, who also gave the authorities a poor recollection of the events of November 23, 2014. Harley's cellphone records placed him around the Pugh residence and a search of his car matched the vehicle caught on the surveillance cameras.

Both Andre Pugh and Adrian Harley were sentenced to life in prison for the murder-for-hire plot behind Tiffany Pugh's death.


Catch all the details of the murder case on the latest Dateline episode.

Edited by Meenakshi Ajith
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