Tracy Hedgepath, a 24-year-old woman from Dallas, North Carolina, tragically lost her life on July 9, 2010. Tracy, who was of Caucasian descent, was a beloved member of her community and worked as a Jewelry Manager at K-Mart for over seven years. She was a 2003 graduate of North Gaston High School and a member of Hillview Baptist Church.
The circumstances surrounding Tracy Hedgepath's death were harrowing.
On the night of July 8 or early morning of July 9, 2010, Tracy was murdered in what authorities described as a suspected murder-suicide. Her partner, 25-year-old Austen Blake Minter, shot and killed Tracy, who was several months pregnant, along with their two children, 6-year-old Austen Blake Minter II and 3-year-old Serenity Tyvon Minter. Minter then turned the gun on himself, ending his own life.
The only survivor of this tragic incident was Tracy's 7-year-old daughter, Destiny DeShawn Minter, who was critically injured after being shot in the head. Destiny was rushed to Carolinas Medical Center for treatment. The investigation revealed that Austen Blake Minter had a history of violence against Tracy. In 2004, he was charged with assaulting her and was sentenced to two years probation. Tracy had taken out a protective order against him, which he violated twice in 2008.
The community was left in shock and mourning after the loss of Tracy Hedgepath and her children. Funeral services were held at Hillview Baptist Church, where family and friends gathered to pay their respects. Tracy's parents, Carl Wayne and Cheryl Ann Kelly Hedgepath, along with her surviving daughter, Destiny, and other family members, were left to cope with the devastating loss.
