In a quiet home on Broad Street in Wichita Falls, Texas, the life of 43-year-old Autumn Nicole Moore came to a tragic and violent end. On the night of August 26, 2026, police received a high-priority welfare check call and arrived at the residence to find Autumn on the floor with a gunshot wound to her head. She was transported to United Regional hospital with injuries that were described as not survivable. Autumn Moore succumbed to her injuries two days later, on August 28, 2026.
The initial report from the scene came from Autumn's husband, 52-year-old Tracy Zayn Moore, who claimed that his wife had shot herself. However, the circumstances surrounding the incident quickly raised suspicions among investigators. A. 22 caliber revolver was found next to Autumn's hands, but as the police delved deeper, a different story began to emerge. A witness told officers that she had gone to the Moore residence to inform Tracy that Autumn was having an affair while he had been in jail. The witness claimed that Tracy then came outside with a gun, fired a shot at a nearby car's windshield and another into the ground. After he went back inside, the witness heard another pop and Tracy then re-emerged, stating that Autumn had shot herself.
Further investigation uncovered a series of conflicting statements from Tracy Moore. After being taken into custody on unrelated charges, he changed his story, claiming he saw the gun near Autumn and dove on top of her to prevent her from taking her own life, at which point the gun discharged. He alleged he only fired the shots outside to get the attention of the witness. However, the medical examiner's report contradicted his claims, ruling that the gunshot wound was not self-inflicted and that there was no evidence to suggest it was a close-range shooting. The manner of death was officially ruled a homicide. While already in custody for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and a federal hold, Tracy Zayn Moore was served with a warrant for the murder of his wife. A bond of $1 million was recommended for the murder charge. This case presents a somber overview of a domestic situation that escalated to a fatal conclusion, with the initial claims of a self-inflicted wound giving way to an official homicide investigation and the subsequent arrest of the victim's husband.
