Mississippi man sentenced to 20 years for manslaughter of mother

In September 2022, Taylor Wilbanks, a then 24-year-old resident of Corinth, was arrested by U.S. Marshals for the murder of Tracy Lynn Roberts. Roberts had gone missing on August 17 of that year and her body was later found in the Holly Springs National Forest area, located northwest of Falkner.

Wilbanks was initially charged with first-degree murder, but later pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter as part of a plea deal. The plea deal also included a guilty plea to one count of false pretenses, for which Wilbanks received a sentence of three years, to be served consecutively with the 20-year sentence for manslaughter. However, the three-year sentence for false pretenses was suspended.

In addition to the prison sentence, Wilbanks was ordered to pay fines totaling $694.50 and will be subject to three years of post-release supervision. Wilbanks was also initially charged with credit card fraud in addition to the murder charge.

He is currently being held at Tippah County Jail with a release date in the year 2042.

The sentencing of Taylor Wilbanks marks the end of a tragic case that left a family and community reeling from the loss of Tracy Lynn Roberts. Although the plea deal reduced the charge from first-degree murder to manslaughter, Wilbanks will still spend the next 20 years behind bars for his role in the crime.