Husband, Roommates Arrested as Body of Missing Jessica Barnes Found Weeks After Mom Received Unsettling Texts
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Jessica Barnes' husband Brandon Barnes has been charged with murder in connection with her death
Town of Pendleton Municipal Complex, South Carolina/Facebook; Anderson County Sheriff's Office Jessica Barnes; Brandon Barnes; Victoria Tippett; and Kendall Mims' title='Jessica Barnes, Brandon Barnes, Victoria Tippett and Kendall Mims'>
Town of Pendleton Municipal Complex, South Carolina/Facebook; Anderson County Sheriff's Office Jessica Barnes; Brandon Barnes; Victoria Tippett; and Kendall Mims
Jessica Barnes, 20, disappeared from Pendleton, S.C., in August Authorities allege her husband Brandon Barnes killed her on Aug. 2The couple's roommates are accused by police of helping Brandon dispose Jessica's bodyAuthorities in South Carolina have recovered the remains of Jessica Barnes, who was last seen in August, and arrested three people: her husband and two roommates. Barnes, 20, was last seen on Aug. 1, before she disappeared from her Pendleton, S.C., home, the Pendleton Police Department said in a statement in September. During their investigation, authorities located remains that were not immediately identified in nearby Pickens County, Pendleton police said in a statement this week. A Pickens County coroner confirmed on Tuesday, Oct. 1, that the remains belong to Jessica. After the remains were found, Pendleton police, along with South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), conducted interviews with Barnes’ husband, Brandon Barnes, and the couple’s two roommates, Kendall Mims and Victoria Tippett, per the statement. Following the interviews, the three were charged by Pendleton police with several offenses, including a murder charge for Brandon, per police.
GoFundMe Jessica Barnes
In an arrest affidavit for Brandon, Pendleton police allege he used his arms to strangle Jessica to death on Aug. 2, in a Pendleton residence. Police allege Brandon admitted to the killing.Mims and Tippett were both charged with accessory after the fact; obstruction of justice; and misprision of a felony, per police.Police allege Mims and Tippett assisted Brandon in disposing of Jessica's body. Both women allegedly confessed to the crime, per their respective affidavits.Tippett is further accused of neglecting to report a crime despite allegedly witnessing the killing and having multiple opportunities to notify police, per the affidavits.Police further allege Mims neglected to report the crime despite being told about the killing and despite having multiple opportunities to notify police.
Related: Where Is Jessica Barnes? A S.C. Woman Vanished 7 Weeks Ago — and Then Mom Received Unsettling Text
Town of Pendleton Municipal Complex, South Carolina/Facebook Jessica Barnes Missing poster
Jessica was reported missing by her mother Cecilia Varvara in September, Pendleton police said in their previous statement. Pendleton Police Chief Roberts Crosby confirmed to PEOPLE that Varvara has claimed on several occasions that she received text messages from an account under Jessica’s name after her disappearance, but didn't believe them to be from her daughter. On Sept. 20, police conducted a search at the residence where Brandon and Jessica lived with their roommates Mims and Tippett. Pendleton Police seized “clues, articles of clothing, electronic devices” from the residence, Crosby told PEOPLE at the time. Their investigation further led police to the couple’s roommate’s car at a location frequented by both Jessica and Brandon Barnes, with phone records allegedly showing Brandon drove the vehicle to the location. It wasn't immediately clear which roommate's car police traced.
Anderson County Sheriff's Office Brandon Barnes (left); Victoria Tippett; and Kendall Mims.' title='Brandon Barnes, Victoria Tippett and Kendall Mims'>
Anderson County Sheriff's Office Brandon Barnes (left); Victoria Tippett; and Kendall Mims.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.It's not immediately clear if any of the suspects have entered pleas. Attorney information for the three suspects was not immediately available.A GoFundMe has been set up to assist Jessica's family.The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to contact Pendleton police at 864-646-9409 or email the department at [email protected] you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People.
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