Woman shot by husband in Mansfield remembered for loving spirit, devotion to her kids
After years enduring a marriage with a husband who friends described as domineering and manipulative, 39-year-old Tracy Burton remained loving and devoted to her children until her death on Nov. 24.
Tracy was fatally shot by her husband, 56-year-old Marcus Ruela Burton, outside of a Mansfield house where the couple had lived together until a little over a month before.
One of her friends, Kameca Balan, said she let Tracy live in her Arlington home after she left her husband. On the day she was killed, Kameca said, Tracy had gone back to the Mansfield house to gather the rest of her things.
Stacy Ball, who was best friends with Tracy for over 26 years, said Marcus Burton shot Tracy as she ran across the street into a neighbor’s open garage, then he went back to the house for more ammunition and shot her several more times. Burton fatally shot himself in his house as police responded to the scene of the homicide, authorities have said.
Burton and Tracy were in the middle of getting a divorce and their second court date was scheduled for Dec. 14, friends said.
Kameca and her brother Jeremiah Balan grew up with Tracy in Haiti. Jeremiah said Tracy had a difficult childhood, but that she never let it bring her down.
Tracy immigrated to the United States when she was around 18. Around the same time, Jeremiah said, Tracy helped her mother and her two sisters also immigrate to the US, providing them with a better life.
She would also help people who were new to the United States and help them find where to get the best deals and discounts. Ball said Tracy was an incredibly thoughtful, loving and respectful woman.
“Tracy would always give everybody a feeling of life, like life is good,” Ball said. “Even though she was going through whatever she was going through, she would always try to be encouraging. She loved music, she loved to dance — she’s just a light in the room.”
What Tracy went through, Ball said she doesn’t wish on anyone.
Burton was verbally and mentally abusive to Tracy, her friends said she told them. Without a job, Tracy felt she didn’t have the right to say “no” to him, Kameca said, and avoided putting up a fight.
When Tracy and Burton first met 16 years ago, she had a job, her own house and was self-sufficient, her friends said.
Ball said Tracy was manipulated to the point where she lost her self-worth. Tracy couldn’t go out on a regular basis, she said, and going out with friends had to be planned a week ahead. Whenever she was able to go out with friends, Burton would blow up Tracy’s phone with calls trying to find out where she was.
“The relationship wasn’t working two years ago,” Ball said. “Tracy only stayed in that relationship because of the boys.”
Tracy had four sons, three of them with Burton. Kameca said Tracy tried getting an order of protection against Burton but was asked to co-parent with him instead due to no criminal history of abuse.
Kameca said Tracy was a dedicated mother to her sons, always researching activities for them to enjoy and never losing patience with them.
Nearly every time Ball would call her, she said, Tracy would be with her kids, whether it was picking them up from school, at the gym with them or getting ready to do an activity with them. Up until her death, Tracy always made sure she had a bed big enough for her youngest boys, ages 9 and 5, to curl up next to her and watch cartoons.
“There’s nothing in this world that Tracy wouldn’t do for her kids,” Ball said. “She always put her kids first.”
On Nov. 24, Burton told Tracy she could pick up her things from the Mansfield house and said he wouldn’t be home, her friends said. Kameca said Tracy had trusted him, leaving her two youngest sons in her vehicle while she loaded her belongings.
Tracy’s 9-year-old son said his mom ran out of the house, made eye contact with him and ran across the street to the neighbor’s open garage, Kameca said.
Ball said the eye contact was a signal for the boys to get help and they ran to a neighbor’s house to call 911.
Tracy’s youngest sons now live with her sister, who is working to get custody of them. Kameca said it’s been hard for them because Tracy was very organized and always had activities planned for them to do together.
Kameca and Ball said the boys can’t sleep at night, having nightmares, headaches and crying.
“It hurts me to see her little babies confused, looking for mom,” Kameca said. “She lived for those kids. I don’t know what I could do for them. Whatever I do, it won’t be enough because I cannot replace her — what she did, what she used to do was priceless.”
A GoFundMe fundraiser, titled ‘Help raise funds for our friend Tracy!’ was set up to cover Tracy’s funeral costs. The page was still active and had around $15,355 in donations as of Saturday afternoon.
Although she said a lot of people discouraged her from going to Tracy’s funeral, Kameca was determined to go so she could see and touch her friend who was like her sister.
“I told her, when I saw her, I’m like, ‘Honey, you’re an angel, you’re going to heaven,” she said. “She touched so many lives.”
Tracy’s friends will remember her for the way she loved and how she appreciated life, always giving of herself to others. Jeremiah said they hope sharing her story will inspire more people in similar situations to seek help before it’s too late.
“I am certain that [Tracy’s] story can absolutely, not just inspire, but save lives,” he said.
In Tarrant County, anyone who is a victim, or knows a victim of domestic violence, can reach out to SafeHaven’s hotline at 1-877-701-7233. The 24-hour National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-799-7233.
This story was originally published December 13, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
