A man has been accused of m*rdering his wife and hiding her body in the woods before joining the search party for her.
Jessica Barnes, 20, from South Carolina, was last seen in early August at the home she shared with her husband, Brandon Barnes, and their housemates, Kendall Mims and Victoria Tippett.
Jessica’s mother, Cecilia Varvara, reported her missing on September 10, after suspecting that text messages supposedly from Jessica were not actually from her.
During the investigation into Jessica’s disappearance, authorities discovered her body in a wooded area of Pickens County, about six miles from her home, on September 20. Initially, Brandon Barnes was not considered a suspect and was questioned alongside Mims and Tippett.
Pendleton Police Chief Robert Crosby stated, “There were some issues with her and her husband. They were having typical marital disputes, argumentative, and then she just left.”
According to Blunt Force Media, Barnes and Tippett had been putting up missing person flyers six days after Jessica’s remains were discovered. Barnes expressed regret, saying, “I would tell her how much I love her and wish I hadn’t ignored her, always focusing on work and money.”
Barnes also read aloud a letter Jessica had written for their 10th wedding anniversary, expressing her love and gratitude for their life together, including their ability to endure hardships, such as a stillbirth, which had made them stronger as a couple.
However, an autopsy revealed Jessica had died from asphyxiation by strangulation. Brandon Barnes later confessed to the crime and was charged with m*rder. Mims and Tippett were charged with accessory after the fact, obstruction of justice, and failure to report a crime.