Community mourns loss of 93-year-old Humboldt man

HUMBOLDT, Tenn. — 24-year-old Tacarra Lynette Turner is the woman who, along with another man, allegedly robbed and assaulted 93-year-old Luther Donaldson on April 1. She was arrested but the man has still not been identified.

Investigators said Donaldson suffered a few injuries along with his already pre-existing health conditions.

“And from that point on my father never was the same,” said Donaldson’s son, Dan Donaldson.

“Since then, he went down and I strongly believe that’s why,” said Donaldson’s Granddaughter, Breya Rodgers.

Several people came to Mr. Luther’s front porch the day after his death.

“They’re walking with me there, hurting with me, because I live in Martin but this is home,” said Donaldson.

“Mr Luther is the source and our neighborhood will never be the same again,” said Donaldson’s neighbor, Deanna Lorick.

“He just like a granddad to everybody,” said, neighbor Rashawn Weatherspoon.

“He just a kind man, he loved everybody,” said friend of Donaldson, Thomas Emery.

“He touched so many people’s lives, can you imagine just how many lives he has touched in 93 years, he touched mine,” said Humboldt Mayor Marvin Sikes.

“If we needed air in the tires, if we needed a tire patched, everybody called him the pop man,” said Lorick.

“He was a pop man, as long as he had me as Dr. Pepper we was alright,” said Donaldson’s neighbor Tamera Moore.

His neighbors and family said he would help anyone if they just asked.

“What he had, didn’t have much, had a little Social Security check that came in, it wasn’t much but he would give to everybody,” said Donaldson.

“If you would have sat on that porch with him, there is nothing that he wouldn’t have given you,” said Lorick.

“It was never a ‘no’, never. He might fuss a little bit but it was never a ‘no’,” said Rodgers.

His family said they believe the assault and robbery indirectly caused Mr. Luther to have an early death.

“As long as I live, that was the moment that my father really started dying, he started dying that day,” said Donaldson.

“I would just ask them why, why, get to know somebody,” said Lorick.

“Why, just why, there’s no just cause for this,” said Donaldson.

“I just want to know why,” said Rodgers.

“Even when I get up in the morning to leave, it was something about the conversations that me and Mr. Luther had, he would brighten my day even though sometimes I didn’t feel well,” said Donaldson’s neighbor George Lorick Jr.

“I will say this, that what you do, it will come back to you, you will reap what you sow,” said Lorick.

Investigators are still searching for the other man involved in the incident.

If you have information call the Humboldt Police Department at (731) 784-1322.