Mississippi inmate in buttocks injection killing has died

Flag of Mississippi (Photo by Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain)

JACKSON, Miss. — A Mississippi inmate convicted in 2014 of the death of a Georgia woman through illicit silicone buttocks injections has died.

The Mississippi Department of Corrections said in a statement Monday that an autopsy will be conducted on the remains of Tracy Lynn Garner , who died Sunday. She was 58 and had served less than 3 1/2 years of a life sentence.

Garner was convicted by a jury of depraved heart murder in the death of Karima Gordon, an Atlanta area resident who died eight days after receiving the injections in Jackson in 2012. Depraved heart murder is a killing caused by reckless disregard for human life.

Prosecutors said Gordon was referred to Garner by Natasha Stewart, an adult entertainer known as Pebbelz Da Model.

Stewart was convicted of manslaughter in Garner’s death and received a seven-year sentence.

Authorities initially identified Garner as a man, Morris Garner, after the arrest. Her attorney subsequently said Garner was born male and had sex reassignment surgery.

Angelina Barber, Gordon’s best friend who travelled with her to Jackson, testified during Gordon’s trial that she decided not to receive injections after meeting Garner. Barber testified that she and Gordon were led to believe Garner was a nurse. A nursing home administrator testified Garner had been a cook at a nursing home where she wore scrubs.

Garner was taken from Central Mississippi Correctional Facility to a hospital in Jackson, where she was pronounced dead Sunday morning.

The Department of Corrections did not elaborate on the circumstances surrounding the inmate’s death.