The Murder of Tiara Lott

Tiara Lott was about to begin a new chapter in her life during January 2021. The then-22-year-old lived in Buffalo, New York, and she had just gotten a new job in the field of IT. Tiara was looking forward to beginning this new job, but before she could, she disappeared. About two weeks later, Tiara's body was found alongside train tracks on Wex Avenue. She had been murdered.

Before her disappearance, Tiara had been spending a lot of time with her 27-year-old boyfriend, Andre Whigham. Tiara's loved ones were worried about this relationship, especially since Tiara had several bruises on her face during her final video chat with one of her friends. 

That call took place on January 29th, 2021, and during the call her friend asked Tiara for her location so she could send an Uber to go pick her up. The video chat call was disconnected after that. A short time later, Tiara sent a text message to several loved ones that said, "God forbid, if anything happens to me, that I love y'all and tell everybody." 

Andre Whigham

After receiving that worrisome message, Tiara's family members went to the Buffalo Police. Both investigators and family members spent the next two weeks searching for her. Shortly after notifying police, Tiara's loved ones went to a house on Gold Street where they believed Tiara was last seen. There, they found several of Tiara's personal items, including her clothes, shoes, and ID card. 

Then, on February 13th, 2021, police found Tiara's body approximately two miles away on Wex Avenue. Investigators initially did not reveal Tiara's exact cause of death, but her manner of death has been labeled as a homicide.

Andre Whigham was immediately considered a person-of-interest in Tiara's case. However, by the time Tiara's body was found, Whigham had dropped out of sight. Authorities believed that he was armed and dangerous. Anyone with information about Whigham's whereabouts was encouraged to come forward. 

Whigham remained missing for months until May 2022, when he turned himself in to authorities. Once in custody, Whigham was charged with the second-degree murder of Tiara Lott. Prosecutors then announced their belief that he strangled Tiara to death inside an apartment on Gold Street. After disposing of Tiara's body, he fled from the area. 

During February 2023, Whigham accepted a plea deal and pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter. Months later, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

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Sources:
Buffalo News
People
WIVB News 4