Whitefish Bay man sentenced to life in prison for fatal road rage shooting of DOC sergeant

WHITEFISH BAY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A Whitefish Bay man has been sentenced to life in prison for the fatal road rage shooting of Tracey Smith on Aug. 30, 2019.

Thirty-six-year-old Matthew Wilks was convicted on one count of first-degree intentional homicide and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon on Feb. 25.

Smith, a sergeant at the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility for the Wisconsin DOC, was teaching her 17-year-old son to drive near 51st and Capitol when Wilks hit the car she was in.

Police say he shot her and fled the scene. Wilks claimed it was self-defense.

Smith's son drove her to the hospital with the help of witnesses, where she was pronounced deceased.

Friends say Smith had worked for the DOC for more than 20 years.

Share this article: