In the quiet early morning hours of December 13, 2015, the life of Tracey Lynn White Marshall, a 47-year-old African American woman and a dedicated sergeant with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, was tragically cut short. Her body was discovered inside her pickup truck in the 2300 block of Ashley Drive in Terrytown, a community near Gretna, Louisiana. A passerby had noticed her hair hanging from the truck's window and alerted the authorities, leading to the grim discovery.
Investigators determined she had been shot multiple times. The night before, there had been reports of gunshots in the area, but deputies had not found anything suspicious at the time.
The investigation into Tracey's death quickly focused on her ex-boyfriend, James Darby. Their relationship was described as tumultuous, and they had recently broken up. Angered by the separation and the fact that she was seeing someone new, Darby had been stalking her in the hours leading up to her death. On the night of the murder, he followed her as she returned home from a date. As she sat in her vehicle talking on her cell phone, Darby approached and fired multiple shots, killing her in what prosecutors would later call a personal and deliberate execution.
Two days after the discovery of Tracey's body, James Darby was apprehended in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He was subsequently charged with second-degree murder. His trial brought to light the harrowing details of domestic violence and the extent of his harassment in the weeks before the killing. After a five-day trial, a jury took less than an hour to find him guilty as charged. James Darby was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence, ensuring he would spend the rest of his life behind bars for the murder of the respected 10-year veteran of the sheriff's office.
