Husband, roommates charged in death of missing Upstate woman
Oct 03, 2024
ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) - An Anderson County man has been charged with killing his wife and his roommates are accused of helping him move her body to Pickens County, according to police.
According to Anderson County Coroner's Office, Jessica R. Barnes, 20, of Pendleton, was found dead in a wooded area in the Twin Lakes area of Pickens County on Friday, Sept. 20.
Barnes was reported missing on September 10 by her mother, who told police Barnes had not been seen since August 1.
On the same day her body was found, investigators searched a home on Laurel Drive which Barnes shared with her husband and some of her friends, according to Chief Robert Crosby.
Previous story: Search continues for Upstate woman last seen in August
According to the Pendleton Police Department, Jessica's husband, Brandon Barnes, admitted to police he had killed his wife.
After her remains were found, the case was initially handled by Pickens County Coroner's Office. Forensic testing performed by the Clemson Anthropology Department and a forensic odontologist confirmed the remains were Barnes.
An autopsy by Pickens County Coroner's Office showed Barnes' cause of death was asphyxiation by strangulation and her death was ruled a homicide.
The couple's roommates, Kendall Mims and Victoria Tippett have also been arrested after they told police they witnessed the killing and helped dispose of Barnes' body.