Teen wrestler charged with murder after mom found stabbed in recycling bin
02/14/2026 10:00 am PST
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (TCN) -- A 17-year-old boy has been charged with first-degree murder after his mother was found fatally stabbed at their home.
Officers with the Fayetteville Police Department responded to reports of a stabbing on Feb. 10 and found the body of 49-year-old Katharine Svaldi, a mother of three, dead from stab wounds, WRAL reports. Svaldi’s son Isaac Tracy was detained at the scene.
According to Law & Crime, police were called to perform an urgent welfare check after one of Tracy’s grandparents received a call from him allegedly admitting he had killed his mother.
WTVD reports Svaldi’s body was inside a recycling bin and police found a note on the kitchen table, reportedly from Tracy, explaining why he allegedly killed his mother. According to a police report obtained by the outlet, Tracy called 911 himself because “he wanted to get himself arrested — because he killed his mom.”
Tracy reportedly had self-inflicted wounds, and the contents of the note he allegedly wrote have not been made public, per Law & Crime. Police have not announced a motive.
WRAL reports Tracy was a member of the wrestling team at Jack Britt High School, according to a Cumberland County Schools spokesperson.
Due to Tracy’s age and the nature of the offense, police say he is being charged as an adult in accordance with North Carolina law, WRAL reports. WTVD reports that he is being held without bond; his next hearing is March 3. The investigation is ongoing.
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