Viswa Vanapalli
One day in April 2017, Molly Matheson’s mother, Tracy, went to her daughter’s apartment to find her dead in the bathroom. What followed was an investigation that exposed how the killer remained free despite being accused of sexual assaults in the past. Molly’s death devastated her parents, Tracy and David, and pushed the mother to fight for better policing and identifying patterns of criminals committing sex crimes. NBC News’ ‘Dateline: Wreckage’ focuses on Molly’s death and how her parents dealt with it in the aftermath.
Who Are Molly Matheson’s Parents?
Molly Matheson was born to Tracy and David Matheson; she was the second of four children and the only girl. Tracy described her daughter as a hilarious, compassionate, and dedicated 22-year-old. The young woman loved children and even worked as a nanny. Molly wanted to be a social worker in the future and work with troubled children, but all that was taken away from her one night in April 2017.
On April 10, 2017, Tracy got a call from Molly’s employer. She hadn’t shown up to her 1 pm shift, which was unusual. Tracy learned from a friend that Molly’s car was still parked outside her apartment. So, she immediately drove down there. The door was unlocked, and Tracy walked into the bathroom to discover her daughter under a running shower, dead. The authorities were eventually led to Reginald Kimbro, Molly’s ex-boyfriend from a few years prior, whom Tracy had met before.
Biological evidence indicated that Reginald was also responsible for raping and murdering Megan Getrum, a 36-year-old whose body was found in a lake close to Dallas, Texas. The authorities then learned that he had been accused of several sexual assaults across Texas but had never been arrested. In all those cases, the survivors claimed that Reginald had choked and raped them, precisely what happened to Molly and Megan Getrum.
In the months after Molly’s death, Tracy pushed for the passage of Molly Lane’s Law, which was ultimately passed in 2019 and required the authorities to enter the name and date of birth of someone suspected of sexual assault along with the circumstances surrounding the assault into a national database. The intention behind it was to make it easier for investigators to identify patterns, thus leading to quicker arrests.
In March 2022, Reginald pleaded guilty to the two murders and four other sexual assaults, bringing some relief to the Matheson family. In court, David told Reginald, “I honestly have nothing to say to you. You don’t exist. You don’t occupy any space in my head. You never will. You are the definition of a coward.” He also addressed the women who came forward with their stories of Reginald attacking them, saying, “You were not believed, you were dismissed, and you were abandoned by the very system that is supposed to help you.”
Molly Matheson’s Parents Are Helping Sexual Assaults Survivors
Some survivors later stated that the authorities didn’t believe them when they reported Reginald sexually assaulting them. Tracy also looked into this and felt that the criminal justice system was broken when it came to investigating sexual assaults. She believed that the survivors received little to no support, making it difficult for them to come forward. So, on the anniversary of Molly’s death in 2018, Tracy founded Project Beloved.
The nonprofit aims to provide a more comfortable and inviting environment for sexual assault survivors, making it easier for them to open up to investigators. The rooms include comfortable chairs, pillows, blankets, and softly lit lamps. Over the years, Tracy has received requests from several states and federal facilities. She added, “We want to get more evidence, better evidence. We want to take cases that maybe seem like they weren’t going to be able to go anywhere…maybe we are going to able to make an arrest.”
Apart from that, Project Beloved provides care bundles for survivors who get tested for a rape kit. Additionally, the nonprofit awards scholarships for social work students at the University of Arkansas, where Molly was a student. Tracy and David live in Fort Worth with and care for their sons. Tracy usually has her hands full with not just the nonprofit but also her job as a realtor. On the other hand, David is the partner and Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Escalante Golf. In May 2022, Tracy received the Ignite Award at the Conference on Crimes Against Women for her nonprofit work.
Read More: Where Are Megan Getrum’s Parents Now?
