A South Carolina man has been charged with killing his wife and his roommates have been charged with helping him move her body weeks after she was reported missing, according to law enforcement.
Ten days after she was reported missing by her mother, 20-year-old Pendleton resident Jessica Barnes was found deceased in the Twin Lakes area of Pickens County on Sept. 20. Last seen on Aug. 2, Barnes' body was located miles away from her home in Anderson County.
Her husband, 21-year-old Brandon Barnes, was subsequently taken into custody and charged with one murder count, according to the HuffingtonPost.
The Pickens County Coroner's Office ruled that her death was caused by strangulation.
Brandon Barnes' two roommates, Kendall Mims and Victoria Tippett, have been charged with being an accessory after the fact, obstruction of justice and misprision of a felony as they are accused of helping Barnes move and bury his wife's body.
"Prosecution will continue, and we expect and hope that the 10th circuit solicitors will prosecute everything to the fullest extent of the law," said Pendleton Police Chief Robert Crosby at a press conference on Wednesday. "We owe that to Jessica and we owe that to her memory."
Jessica's mother, Cecilia Varvara, reported receiving text messages from her daughter's number that she now believes were sent by her son-in-law, Brandon, after Jessica's demise. The text messages informed Varvara that her daughter had moved to Michigan with friends.
Bond DENIED for all three defendants in the #JessicaBarnes murder case... https://t.co/VpxaYbUddO
— FITSNews (@fitsnews) October 2, 2024
Varvara became increasingly concerned when her daughter did not call for her birthday on Aug. 26, after which she reported her disappearance to police.
A statement released by Jessica's family indicate that the 20-year-old was a victim of domestic abuse.
"With heavy hearts, we humbly return Jessica into the hands of Jesus, where we know she is now safe from her abuser," the statement said. "Her spirit is renewed, and she is enveloped in the love she longed for so deeply while she was with us on this earth."
A statement from the family of Jessica Barnes has been released through @BluntForceMedia... pic.twitter.com/iWQ2BMWzrj
— FITSNews (@fitsnews) October 2, 2024
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