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In this episode, retired agent Tracey Harris Branch reviews a hate crime investigation of the murder of Memphis Code Enforcement Officer Mickey Wright, killed in the line of duty because of his race. The subject of the investigation, Dale Mardis, was a self-proclaimed racist with anti-government views.
Initially, Mardis was convicted of the local murder by the state of Tennessee, which resulted in him receiving a 15-year sentence. However, once allegations of racial bias surfaced, Tracey’s investigation resulted in the conviction of Mardis for a federal hate crime and a sentence of life in prison. Mardis also confessed to an additional murder during the investigation. Sadly, Mickey Wright’s body was never recovered.
Special Agent (Retired)
Tracey Harris Branch
3/1998 – 10/2022
Tracey Branch served in the FBI for more than 24 years.
Prior to becoming an FBI Special Agent, she was employed as a social worker with the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, where she investigated matters of child neglect and endangerment.
Tracey’s first assignment was to the Newark Division, where she worked on international drug investigations, public corruption, and terrorism matters. She was part of the team which processed evidence linked to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, assisting in body recovery efforts and conducting victim impact interviews for family members of those who perished on Flight 93.
Tracey’s second field assignment was to the Memphis Field Office (now a RA out of Nashville Division) where she worked and later supervised Civil Rights investigations. Those investigations included Color of Law/police misconduct, Hate Crimes, Human Trafficking, as well as other programs.
She was the primary investigator on a Color of Law investigation in which 5 Memphis police officers were convicted of Civil Rights investigations. The officers would elicit assistance from local drug dealers who would arrange drug deals which the officers would intercept. The main defendant in that case was sentenced to life plus 255 years, which is the record in Civil Rights for a non-death investigation. Tracey was also the primary bureau investigator on a Human Trafficking case (worked jointly with ICE) whereby a 13-year-old Oaxacan girl was trafficked from Mexico to the United States and forced into sexual slavery. The investigation resulted in 12 indictments and the main defendant being sentenced to 50 years in federal prison.
Tracey has received multiple accolades for her work in Civil Rights. One of the awards was from the Attorney General, Eric Holder, for a Human Trafficking investigation. Other awards include the National Organization of Blacks in Law Enforcement in 2008 for Excellence in Civil Rights Investigations and two awards from the International Chiefs of Police in 2010. Additionally, she has received recognition from the United States Attorney’s Office and Shelby County Crime Victims Center for excellence in investigations relating to her work in human trafficking.
After retiring from the FBI, Tracey was employed as the Senior Director of Security & Safety at ALSAC/St. Jude. Currently, she is the Senior Director of Security for Methodist Lebonheur Healthcare. She has oversight for security for all hospitals, minor meds, and physician office buildings.
The following are links to articles about the Memphis code enforcement, racially motivated murder of Mickey Wright and case related images:
Action News5 – 8/19/2004: Shocking testimony against the man accused of murdering a county code enforcer
DOJ Press Release – 7/5/11: Tennessee Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Racially-Motivated Killing
Action News 5 – 7/5/2011: Man convicted of code enforcement murder admits to second killing
FBI.gov Website (VIDEO): Protecting Civil Rights: Memphis Agent Seeks Justice for Victims
Listen to more FBI Retired Case File Review episodes featuring hate crimes here.
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