Suspect captured in Florida
While the family of Tracey Brown mourns her death, authorities are awaiting the extradition from Florida of the man accused of fatally shooting her Saturday in her home near Sumrall.
Ace Joe Mallard, 46, of Columbia is facing a murder warrant and will be formally charged once he arrives in Mississippi in the next few days, Lamar County Sheriff Danny Rigel said Tuesday.
Rigel said his department had received a call Saturday morning from relatives saying they had found Brown’s body in her home on Meredith Circle, which has a Sumrall address but is outside the city limits. He said Brown, 37, was shot but declined to say what led up to the murder, saying it’s under investigation. He said the family indicated Mallard and Brown were boyfriend/girlfriend.
The body has been sent to Jackson for an autopsy.
Brown, who grew up in Columbia and graduated from East Marion High School, leaves behind three children, who are staying with family. She had worked for Walmart for 18 years at multiple stores in the region. Arrangements were incomplete as of deadline.
“She was always greeting people with her great personality, beautiful smile and her laughter that could fill a room!” her family said in a statement. “Her thoughtful, adoring spirit and kindheartedness she had for others made her into the person that we all grew to love over the years if you were lucky enough to know her.”
Following the murder, Rigel spread word widely Saturday morning that Mallard was armed and dangerous and wanted in connection with Brown’s death.
The Florida State Police then stopped Mallard’s black Infiniti M37 Saturday afternoon along mile marker 85 of Interstate 10. That location is betweeen Pensacola and Tallahassee near the city of Defuniak Springs.
Rigel said he was extremely pleased with the investigation after making an arrest within eight hours.
“The quicker you can do something like that — tragic circumstance and the family going through a very traumatic experience themselves with the death of a loved one — anytime you can get the closure quicker it helps them,” he said. “It just helps the family and it helps the community.”
Pictured Above: Tracey Brown is seen in this photo supplied by her family. The Columbia native, a longtime Walmart employee, leaves behind three children.
Family pays tribute
Editor’s Note: The family of Tracey Brown submitted the following tribute in her memory.
Tracey LaShay Brown will leave behind her legacy for all of those who loved and cared for her to continue. She was loved by many, both near and far. She was a friend to all that she encountered and left an astonishing imprint that will never be forgotten. Tracey had a personality matching that of “The Performer,” which defines her as people-oriented, fun-loving, living for the moment and always willing to explore the newer things. She was always greeting people with her great personality, beautiful smile and her laughter that could fill a room! Her thoughtful, adoring spirit and kindheartedness she had for others, made her into the person that we all grew to love over the years if you were lucky enough to know her.
Tracey has dedicated over 18 years of her life serving the Walmart community, while establishing a life for her and her children. The Walmart team has served as a second family through support, mentorship and entrusting her with a leadership role that has added to the success of the company.
Loved ones will now carry on the legacy and memory of Tracey and those of whom she had become close with over the years. Her mother and father, who inspired her to become who she was; her siblings, who were her first friends and are as close as hands are to feet; her children, who once used to hold her hand will now hold her heart; her cousins, who are like brothers and sisters, ready-made friends that will love her forever; her good friends, who were four leaf clovers hard to find and lucky to have, will cherish the memories and moment all shared. Tracey LaShay Brown, taken on short notice from the lives of her loved ones, gone but will never be forgotten.
Some of the greatest treasures are memories of happiness made with your family, timeless treasures of the heart that will go on forever.
The letter is signed by Gladys Dillon of Columbia, Ms. Brown’s mother.
