A former Sequoyah County resident who was initially charged with first-degree murder in tribal court has now pleaded guilty in federal court to the brutal killing of her mother in a shocking case that has drawn widespread attention. Tracy A. Mannon, 52, also known as Tracy A. Moore and Tracy A. Carter, entered a guilty plea in U.S. District Court to one count of murder in Indian Country – second degree in connection with the Feb. 26, 2024, stabbing death of her mother, Linda Barnes.
The charge carries a potential sentence of up to life in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The crime occurred in Latimer County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, and was investigated by the FBI, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and Wilburton Police Department. The federal case followed an initial murder charge filed by the Choctaw Nation District Court, under which Mannon was held on a $1 million bond.
According to a federal probable cause affidavit, Wilburton Police responded to a 911 call from a neigh- bor who reported hearing screams coming from a residence on West Caddo Avenue.
When officers arrived, they found the lifeless body of 68-yearold Barnes, who had suffered multiple stab and slash wounds to her chest, stomach, face, and arms.
Police found Mannon at the kitchen sink, reportedly washing dishes. Nearby, they discovered a blood-stained knife, and Mannon admitted to using two knives during the attack.
She also confessed to planning to dismember her mother’s body but said the knife she intended to use was too dull.
Blood remained under her fingernails despite her claim that she had been in the shower.
Investigators say Mannon attempted to clean the crime scene before authorities arrived. Witnesses told police they heard Barnes pleading with Mannon not to hurt her.
One witness saw Mannon discard a robe in the backyard and return with a large blue container. Mannon later admitted to pushing her mother out the back door and stabbing her multiple times until she died.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted Mannon’s guilty plea and ordered the completion of a pre-sentence investigation report.
A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled and will be determined by a U.S. District Court Judge after reviewing sentencing guidelines and statutory factors.
Mannon will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Satter is prosecuting the case.
