Overview
- Law enforcement found Stephen Larnell Willetts and Tracey Parker Willetts early Thursday morning in their Wilmington home after a smartwatch fall detection alarm automatically called 911.
- The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office said detectives, based on evidence gathered at the scene, believe the wife fatally shot her husband before taking her own life and describe the probe as active and ongoing.
- Officials have not released a full timeline or public motive and investigators say their conclusion is preliminary while forensic work and interviews continue.
- Family posts and neighbors say the couple had just marked their 40th wedding anniversary, had lost two sons in 2013–2014, and that Stephen was a retired Army veteran who worked as an EMT and was known in the Wrightsville Beach paddleboarding community.
- The case highlights how wearable devices can prompt emergency responses because fall‑detection features may automatically call 911 when an alert is not canceled, a detail investigators say led to the discovery and that officials may cite in their final report.