NC family tragedies

By the Editorial Team · Wednesday, August 5, 2026

A Wilmington couple, Tracey Parker Willetts and her husband Stephen Larnell Willetts, died in an apparent murder-suicide shortly after celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. The incident has deeply affected a community still mourning the couple's earlier losses of two sons, with authorities continuing to investigate the circumstances.

A Wilmington, North Carolina couple died in an apparent murder-suicide early Thursday morning, shortly after marking their 40th wedding anniversary. Tracey Parker Willetts is believed to have fatally shot her husband, retired U.S. Army veteran Stephen Larnell Willetts, at their home before taking her own life.

Friends and neighbors described the family as having endured significant hardship in recent years. The couple lost two sons, Zack and Colby, to separate tragedies occurring between 2013 and 2014. These losses reportedly had a profound impact on the Willetts family.

Authorities have not released detailed information about the circumstances leading up to the incident, and officials continue to investigate. The community remains shocked by the sudden and tragic event involving a family already marked by previous sorrow.

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