A Tennessee woman went from person of interest to alleged killer soon after being questioned by police about the shooting death of her girlfriend, Us Weekly has learned.
The body of Gracey Adams, 25, was found the morning of Saturday, January 3, in Nashville.
Adams was found shot to death in her bedroom, Nashville Police Department shared in a statement.
Adams’ girlfriend, Sarah Stacey, 29, was immediately identified as a “person of interest” in the shooting, according to cops. But her whereabouts remained unknown for several hours.
Police caught up with Stacey on Sunday, January 4, and, under questioning by Detective Cooper Gauldin, allegedly “implicated herself in the case.”
Stacey has been formally charged with criminal homicide. Us Weekly was unable to determine if she had been asked to enter a plea to that charge.
Gracey’s mother, Amy McClure, sat down with WSMV and spoke to them about her late daughter.
“A chaplain called her father, and then he called me and told me,” McClure explained. “And I knew immediately who did it. My heart shattered.”
McClure told the station she never actually met her daughter’s alleged killer but was very familiar with the ups and downs of their relationship. She also said both struggled with a drug addiction, which, she claims without elaborating, led to a lot of abuse on both sides.
“So many families are being destroyed by drugs. It’s such a horrible disease,” McClure said.
According to McClure, Gracey briefly relapsed in early 2025 but was sober by Christmas. McClure recalled for the station how the family had celebrated her sobriety over the holiday, calling it “a gift from God.”
“She got to see her nieces and nephews. Her father came to town. We all had pictures together. We all played games and spent time together,” McClure said, adding the good times they had “just last week” has made Adams’ death “so hard” to come to grips with.
“But I’m just so glad that we got those happy memories,” McClure told the station. “I’m so glad that we had that.”
Chip McClure, who is Gracey’s stepfather, said she was “such a light,” and noted how “she touched so many people that her legacy and that light are going to burn forever. I just know it in my heart.”
Adams’ family plans to create a foundation in her name, Gracey Kayla Hope, to help other families impacted by substance abuse.
“I love you more than words could ever express,” wrote Gracey’s sister, Kathryn Nichole Adams, in a touching tribute she shared on Facebook. “The depth of love you carried — for everyone, and especially for your nieces and nephews — is something that will be felt through the test of time.”
While police have said domestic violence played a role in the killing, it was unclear if there were prior reports to police of abuse.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
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