Tampa, Fla. — In a somber discovery in the wooded area adjacent to a Tampa storage facility, police uncovered the bullet-riddled body of 35-year-old Andre Dyke last week. The severely decomposed condition of the body posed initial challenges for identification; however, officials were able to confirm Dyke’s identity through a Florida driver’s license found on a lanyard around his neck.
Initial investigations revealed that Dyke had been living out of his red Dodge Charger. Through the use of license plate reading technology, authorities learned the vehicle had been driven by someone else following Dyke’s demise. This trail soon led them to Andre Aris, 29, who had recently abandoned the car near an apartment complex just north of the discovery site.
Subsequent searches of Aris’ possessions turned up bloodstained shoes, shell casings, and Dyke’s identification cards, placing Aris at the center of the murder investigation. Further exacerbating local residents’ concerns about a series of shootings, this incident unfolded as the community grapples with fears regarding their safety. During a town hall meeting, Police Chief Lee Bercaw assured over 150 attendees that these incidents were isolated, rather than indicative of a broader threat to public safety.
The trail leading to Aris began heating up when a patrol officer spotted Dyke’s Charger at the Morgan Creek apartment complex early on a Saturday morning. Observing from unmarked vehicles, police waited until Aris approached the car, entered it, and attempted to drive away before they intervened. Despite his resistance, officers were able to detain Aris after employing a Taser.
Aris was initially arrested for resisting an officer without violence but was later booked for first-degree murder with a firearm, grand theft auto, and possession of marijuana with intent to sell, as more evidence from the vehicle and Aris’ statements came to light.
Inside the Dodge, police discovered signs of a struggle, including blood spatter and a bullet hole through the driver’s seat. A search turned up several items including a loaded, bloodied semiautomatic Ruger 9mm pistol in a black backpack which also contained jars of marijuana and a spent casing.
Further complicating the case, Aris asserted that Dyke had granted him permission to sell the vehicle approximately a week prior to the discovery of Dyke’s body. He also claimed to have found the backpack with the firearm and drugs already inside the car. Detectives bolstered their case with evidence collected from a storage unit rented by Aris and a nearby hotel room which contained a box of ammunition and a white paper bag with a bloody shell casing and bullet.
As authorities pieced together the narrative, surveillance footage from the storage facility played a crucial role. It captured Aris entering his unit and leaving shortly thereafter with the backpack later found in the car.
In response to the gravity of the accusations and the evidence compiled, Hillsborough prosecutors have filed a motion to keep Aris detained while his case proceeds, citing a significant risk to the community if released.
The Dyke family, grappling with the tragic loss, remembered Andre as a cheerful and beloved figure, formerly serving together in the Navy. His sister-in-law, Nicole Dyke, reminisced about his outgoing personality and their close ties during his service years, which ended in 2018. The family’s connection had waned over the years, leading to few interactions in recent times.
As the legal process unfolds, the community and the Dyke family wait for justice, hoping for closure in a case that has shocked and saddened many across Tampa.