Odell Barnes (criminal)

Odell Barnes, Jr.
Born March 22, 1968
Wichita County, Texas
Died March 1, 2000 (aged 31)
Huntsville, Texas
Cause of death
 Judicial execution by lethal injection
Occupation Construction worker
Conviction(s) First degree murder

Odell Barnes, Jr. (March 22, 1968 – March 1, 2000) was a Texas man convicted of the 1989 murder of Helen Bass. During the later stages of Barnes' legal appeals, human rights groups and anti-death penalty advocates raised questions about Barnes' murder conviction, leading to international media attention and diplomatic protests from the government of France. Barnes was executed on March 1, 2000.

Murder and conviction

The murder occurred on November 29, 1989 in Wichita Falls, Texas. Bass, 42, was surprised by Barnes, who had broken into her home while she was at work, then robbed, beaten, stabbed, and killed by a gunshot to the head. She may have also been raped.

Barnes's conviction was based on forensic evidence and witness testimony placing him at the crime scene. His fingerprints were on a bedside lamp that was used to bludgeon Bass, traces of his semen were present at the scene, and two patches of blood on his clothing were confirmed by DNA analysis to have been hers. Prosecution witnesses described seeing Barnes trespassing in Bass's yard about one hour before she returned from work. When arrested, he was in possession of a .32 caliber pistol belonging to Bass. Barnes had previously done construction work on Bass's house.

Barnes had a prior record for two robberies. He had been unable to afford his own lawyers and the Wichita County Public Defender's office was not equipped to handle his case, so two local attorneys were appointed for him. Their budget and preparation was minimal, no defense investigation was conducted, and no forensic tests were ordered by the defense. Barnes was convicted by the jury after three hours of deliberation and sentenced to death shortly after. After his murder conviction he was also tried and convicted for two rapes, robberies and assaults for which he confessed. On Nov. 15 1989, 15 days before the murder, he beat and attempted to rape a pregnant woman. (The additional convictions were meant to ensure Barnes would stay in prison without possibility of parole even if his death sentence was later overturned.)

Appeals process

During Barnes' appeals process, two new attorneys were appointed to his case by a Federal court. European anti-death penalty activists contributed some $16,000 to his defense fund, and the new lawyers paid for forensic tests out of their own pocket. The new defense team uncovered deficiencies in the forensic evidence, serious errors and oversights by the original defense team, and problems with the credibility of prosecution witnesses.

International attention

Barnes was executed on March 1, 2000. For his last meal, he requested "Justice, Equality, World Peace". His final statement was:

“ I'd like to send great love to all my family members, my supporters, my attorneys. They have all supported me throughout this. I thank you for proving my innocence, although it has not been acknowledged by the courts. May you continue in the struggle and may you change all that's being done here today and in the past. Life has not been that good to me, but I believe that now, after meeting so many people who support me in this, that all things will come to an end, and may this be fruit of better judgements for the future. That's all I have to say. ”

See also

References