Tracy Williams, a 44-year-old woman from Franklinton, NC, was tragically killed on July 26, 2015. Tracy, who was of African American descent, was shot in the face by her former boyfriend, Garry A. Yarborough, in the parking lot of a Food Lion on U.S. Highway 1 in Franklinton. The incident occurred while Tracy was at an ATM, and she attempted to defend herself by firing a shot at Yarborough before he chased her down and fatally shot her.
Tracy had a history of domestic violence with
Yarborough, who had a lengthy criminal record, including ties to two murders. Despite her numerous complaints to law enforcement and her efforts to obtain a restraining order, the system failed to protect her. In April 2015, Tracy sought a restraining order against Yarborough, alleging that he held a knife to her throat and repeatedly threatened to kill her. However, a judge denied the protective order.
On July 5, 2015, Yarborough was charged with second-degree kidnapping for the purpose of terrorizing Tracy. Although he was on probation for a federal drug conviction at the time, he was released on a $75,000 bond. Johnston County deputies tried to serve warrants on him six times since then, including the night before Tracy was killed, but were unable to track him down.
Yarborough was eventually arrested and charged with first-degree murder in Tracy's death. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the first-degree murder conviction, plus an additional 40 years for other offenses. Tracy's family expressed their frustration with the justice system, stating that it had failed her despite her efforts to protect herself.
In addition to Yarborough, a second person, Jasmine Alexandria Murphy, was charged as an accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. Murphy allegedly drove Yarborough to Raleigh despite knowing he had just murdered Tracy. The case highlighted the need for improvements in the domestic violence protection system, as Tracy's tragic death could have been prevented if the system had worked more effectively.
