Police are investigating a suspected murder-suicide in Wilmington, North Carolina, where Tracey Willetts, 58, and her husband Stephen Willetts, 65, were found dead in their home on Thursday. The discovery was made after a smartwatch detected a fall and alerted authorities. Evidence suggests Tracey Willetts fatally shot her husband in their garage before turning the weapon on herself. The couple had celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary just one day prior.
A former family friend, Tori Racca, told the Daily Mail that Tracey Willetts had been deeply affected by the loss of their two sons, Zack and Colby, who died within a year of each other in 2013 and 2014. Zack, 23, died by suicide shortly after returning from deployment with the National Guard in Japan and Afghanistan. Colby, 21, died months later following a battle with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Racca stated that Zack's death left the parents reeling, particularly as he knew his younger brother was terminally ill. "He knew his brother was going to die, so they thought, why would he do that to them?" Racca said, describing Tracey as devastated. She also claimed that Tracey questioned the official cause of Zack's death, suggesting a suicide note did not match his handwriting and that a pizza order placed beforehand indicated he was not planning to end his life. Racca also recalled what she described as a callous handling of the scene by authorities after Zack's death.
Friends and neighbors remembered Stephen Willetts as a friendly and conversational individual, with one neighbor noting his consistency and conversational nature. He was a retired Army veteran and former EMT. Tracey Willetts was remembered by a friend as someone who always wanted to do the right thing for her community.
Fuller Royal, a second cousin of Tracey Willetts, expressed on social media his belief that the loss of their sons profoundly affected the couple, and prayed for their peace. He also remembered Stephen as a lifelong friend who had assisted many people in his work as an EMT.
Long-time acquaintances from the Wrightsville Beach paddleboarding community described the couple as energetic, outgoing, and devoted to each other, noting they had become like family.
