David Michael Barnett

Background

David Barnett had been living with friends in the Glendale area during January and the first few days of February 1996. Barnett spoke several times to his friends about his grandparent’s car, a 1995 Dodge Intrepid, and told them that his grandparents were going to rent this car to him.

Timeline

• January 1996 — Barnett lived with friends in the Glendale area.
• February 4, 1996 (8:00 a.m.) — Barnett walked to his grandparents’ home while they were away attending Sunday school and church services at the Kirkwood Baptist church.
• February 4, 1996 (around 1:00 p.m.) — Barnett confronted his grandmother and grandfather after they returned home.
• February 5, 1996 (early morning) — Police officers found the victims’ car parked in a residential area of Glendale and Barnett confessed to the murders.

The offence

On Sunday, February 4, 1996, at about 8:00 a.m., Barnett walked to the home of his grandparents, who were away attending Sunday school and church services at the Kirkwood Baptist church. Barnett entered the home, apparently through a bedroom window, sat down on the couch, turned on the television, and soon fell asleep.

When he awoke, Barnett phoned his stepbrother Scott and boasted that he had just won the lottery last night and had suddenly come into a large sum of money. Barnett waited for his grandparents when they returned home around 1:00 p.m.

Barnett confronted his grandmother and pushed her down in the hallway. He then pushed his grandfather to the floor and grabbed a knife that was lying on the nearby kitchen table. As the grandfather rose, Barnett kicked him in the head. When the grandfather fell to the floor again, Barnett stabbed him repeatedly in the neck area. All told, Barnett inflicted ten stab wounds and numerous cuts to his grandfather’s neck, face, and hands.

After Barnett concluded that he had killed his grandfather, he returned to the kitchen to get another knife and began stabbing his grandmother in her neck as well. Barnett then returned to the kitchen to get more knives. This time he retrieved two knives and continued to stab his grandmother until she, too, was killed. The grandmother suffered a total of 12 stab wounds to her neck and numerous cuts to her face.

After the attack, Barnett concealed one of the knives by placing it between two mattress pads in his grandparent’s bedroom. He went to the bathroom and washed the blood off his hands.

Barnett removed the keys to the 1995 Dodge Intrepid that were dangling from the lock in the back door, retrieved his coat, and took approximately $120 from his grandmother’s purse. Before leaving the house, Barnett stood silently next to his victims to hear if they were still breathing. After determining that his victims were dead, Barnett lowered two of the shades in the house, locked up, and drove off in the victims’ car.

Investigation

Early the next morning, police officers found the victims’ car parked in a residential area of Glendale. Barnett walked up to the uniformed officers and confessed that he had committed the murders.

Trial

Sentencing

Barnett was sentenced to death on May 2, 1997.

Appeals

The case included a United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit opinion 07-1234 and a Supreme Court of Missouri opinion 79985, State of Missouri v. David Barnett, 980 S.W. 2d 297 (Mo.banc 1998).

Outcome

Barnett was sentenced to death.

Other details

Barnett was waiting for his grandparents when they returned home around 1:00 p.m. Barnett phoned his stepbrother Scott and boasted about winning the lottery. After the attack, Barnett concealed one of the knives between two mattress pads in his grandparent’s bedroom and washed the blood off his hands. Barnett took approximately $120 from his grandmother’s purse and drove off in the victims’ car, a 1995 Dodge Intrepid.