3-Year-Old Murder Victim’s Mother Describes Man Charged In Connection To His Death

Family shares their devastation over the loss

BRECKENRIDGE, Minn. — Charges have been filed against Tracy Brant, who is allegedly involved in the homicide of his 3 year old son, Winter Barker.

Winter’s mother tells KVRR about the relationship between her family and Tracy and role he played in Winter’s life.

“He was always a good little boy he would always follow me everywhere, his mama’s boy,” said Korey Finley, Winter’s mother.

That’s how Korey Finley says she will always remember her son…but being taken away from her so young is something she will never forget.

On April 9th, Korey got a phone call from a friend…

“She goes I’m so sorry, she started crying and I go what just tell me,” Korey said.

That’s when she found out her little boy was gone forever.

“She said winter and right then I just dropped and I knew, I really knew in my heart because I felt something the day before I had a feeling something happened or something was going to happen,” Korey said.

Police showed to Brant’s apartment while he seemed to be performing chest compressions on Winter’s cold body.

Unfortunately police say there was no saving Winter.

His autopsy shows injuries were all over his body and the cause of his death was due to blunt force trauma.

Korey say’s his rough play is no surprise.

“He was strict. He was even strict with me. He would get physical with me,” Korey said.

Korey explains

“When I was pregnant with him, the dad was always a mean guy. Tracy was just never around, didn’t want no part of it,” Korey said.

Her boyfriend Brendon Barker, stepped in to fill that fatherly void for Winter.

“He said he felt bad for him he didn’t want to grow up without a father, he’s like ill sign for his birth certificate, he did,” Korey said.

Korey, who has nine children, was incarcerated in December of 2017 and asked the judge if Winter could be with his other siblings while she was gone.

“I told him I did not want my son with this guy and he gave up on him so many times already,” Korey said.

But regardless of her request, Brant was given emergency custody.

Brendon says the family needs time to wrap their heads around what has happened.

“I’m just trying to really focus on the funeral itself,” Brendon said.

And find a way to get justice for the boy who once called him dad.

“It’s a really hard situation coming from you know like biologically I wasn’t his and the next thing you know feeling like it’s a really tough situation,” Brendon said.

Tracy Brant is facing six counts including felony murder, third degree assault, and malicious punishment of a child.