Attorney Barry Joe Barnette's Legal Cases

Violent crime

State v. Charles Jacob Bridges

Dec 02, 2019

OUTCOME: Pled Guilty to Murder on 12-2-19 and was sentenced to 35 years

During their investigation of a missing person and a potential homicide report, Cherokee County sheriff’s deputies discovered the body of Gary James Stone, 51, during a search of the victim’s residence ... at 216 Harris Trail on Nov. 9, 2017. The victim’s body was located under the house where it had been dismembered and stored in several containers. Bridges was detained at the crime scene. During questioning with deputies, Bridges admitted to choking and stabbing Stone in one of his statements. Bridges told deputies he visited his mother, Dawn Michelle Wilkins, 45, because he was concerned about his mother’s safety in light of recent incidents involving Stone. Bridges and Stone started fighting on Nov. 3, 2017 moments after the Spartanburg man arrived at his mother’s property. Web link: https://www.foxcarolina.com/news/solicitor-man-headed-to-prison-for-killing-mother-s-boyfriend/article_1237ad00-1611-11ea-831d-cf44537f8e80.html

Violent crime

State v. Derrick Burnside

Nov 20, 2019

OUTCOME: Pled Guilty to Murder and PWDVC- sentenced to a Life Sentence

On July 22, 2018, Derrick Burnside shot his ex-girlfriend Latonya M. Richards. Her body was found in a car parked in front of Phresh Threadz, a Highway 29 business. The homicide occurred days after R ... ichards told Burnside she wanted to end their relationship. Wellford police found Richards’ body in the front seat of a white SUV. A security camera recorded Burnside and Richards fighting inside the business before used a handgun and shot her. Richards retreated to her parked car in front of the business before she was shot a second time. Burnside fled the crime scene after the shooting and wrecked his car on Irby Road near his Damson Plum Court home. Burnside was taken into custody by the Highway Patrol and sheriff’s deputies. He confessed to the shooting in a post-arrest interview with investigators. Weblink: https://www.foxcarolina.com/news/solicitor-man-who-murdered-ex-girlfriend-in-front-of-her/article_7a6ff5a4-0be8-11ea-9a16-3fc4880207f3.html

Violent crime

State v. Eddie Jerome Motts

Sep 11, 2019

OUTCOME: Trial- was found guilty of two counts of Attempted Murder and PWDVC after a three day trial and was sentenced to sixty-five years by Judge Mark Hayes on 9-11-19

On 3-26-18, Motts was in Harold's Restaurant in Gaffney, South Carolina. He has been drinking and got into an argument and was asked to leave the Bar area of the restaurant. He came back into the bar ... area and pulled a .32 cal pistol and shot one of the customers in his leg and the owner of the bar in his chest and stomach. Here a weblink about the case: https://www.wyff4.com/article/eddie-j-motts-who-shot-up-harold-s-restaurant-in-gaffney-in-2018-sentenced/29008079

DUI and DWI

State v. Michael Kelley, II

Jul 08, 2019

OUTCOME: Plead guilty to the six drug charges and plead as an Alford plea to the 3 driving offense. He received a total of 40 years in prison.

Kelley caused the fatal accident in the early morning of Feb. 8, 2019 along Highway 9 in Boiling Springs, SC. The crash claimed the life of 11-year-old Ethan Rubenzer and injured his mother, Patricia ... Rubenzer. Kelley was driving a Chevrolet Equinox traveling southbound when he collided with a Kia SUV driven by Patricia Rubenzer at the Bird’s Eye View intersection. Upon investigation, officers found Kelley disregarded the stoplight and struck the passenger side of the Rubenzer’s car. Rubenzer’s car then tragically overturned and struck a vehicle in front of it. Ethan unfortunately died as a result of injuries sustained in the wreck, just days before his 12th birthday. Ethan's mother was driving him to school when the crash happened. Mrs. Rubenzer sustained 3 broken ribs. SCHP troopers smelled the odor of marijuana when they approached Kelley at the scene of the accident. Troopers located a small bag of marijuana in Kelley’s car. A blood test from Kelley showed active marijuana (THC) and THC metabolite in his system, officials say. When Kelley arrived at the hospital, he admitted to smoking marijuana the night before the wreck. He was also driving under suspension at the time. Kelley had been charged for Trafficking Heroin, Distribution of Fentanyl, Heroin, and Marijuana from incidents in 2017 and 2018. Please see weblink: https://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article232427417.html

Violent crime

State v. Gregory Scott Greene

Jun 24, 2019

OUTCOME: Pled Guilty to Attempted Murder, PWDVC, and Kidnapping on 6-24-19 in front of Judge Lee Alford. He received a 20 year sentence concurrent on the Attempted Murder and Kidnapping charges and received a consective fi

The crimes occurred Nov. 8, 2018, at the Eggers Funeral Home, 815 S. Alabama Ave. An employee reported to work about 8 a.m. and he was confronted inside the building by Greene, his former co-worker. G ... reene pulled the trigger on an AR-15 assault rifle he had in his possession but the gun misfired. Greene did manage to fire a bullet into the floor of the business while in the victim’s presence. The victim texted another colleague and asked him to call 911. Sheriff’s deputies arrested Greene minutes later when he attempted to drive away from the business in his truck. The assault rifle was found in the truck. Please see weblink: https://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article231932133.html

Violent crime

State v. Bobby Brown, II

Jan 07, 2019

OUTCOME: Pled Guilty to Attempted Murder, DVHAN, PWDVC, and Armed Robbery in front of Judge Derham Cole and received a fifteen (15) year jail sentence.

On Feb. 11, 2018. Deputies later found Bobby Brown's ex-girlfriend in a wrecked car near the intersection of Varner Road and Varner Street with a large stab wound to the left side of her abdomen and ot ... her cuts to her right hand. The victim told deputies Brown assaulted her when she was trying to evict him from their home. She said she was able to escape in her car and wrecked as Brown followed her. Brown stole her purse from the wrecked car and took off. The victim drove away from the crime scene and wrecked her car a short distance away. Brown followed and took the victim’s purse from the wrecked car. Please see the weblink: https://www.wspa.com/news/woodruff-man-gets-15-years-for-stabbing-ex-girlfriend/1690668287

Violent crime

State v. Roy Gene Sutherland

Nov 29, 2018

OUTCOME: Trial- Murder- Guilty- Life Sentence and PWDVC- Guilty

Sutherland stabbed and beat Lanham Joseph Wood, 57, of 261 Cedar Spring Road to death on Jan. 6. Sheriff’s deputies found the critically injured Wood lying at the back door of a neighbor’s home. Befor ... e he was rushed to the hospital, Wood reported he was attacked by man and a woman who gave him a ride home in a U-Haul truck after getting a Kerosene container filled. Wood died at the hospital a short time as a result of multiple stab wounds and blunt force trauma to his head. In the early stages of the investigation, the Sheriff’s Office received a tip from a citizen who reported seeing Wood carry the kerosene container as he walked on Highway 295 toward the Sphinx convenience store. Deputies found surveillance video from area businesses that showed the U-Haul traveling toward the victim’s home minutes before the 911 call was placed. Deputies also recovered police video of a traffic stop involving Sutherland and Amy Loftis Berridge, 36, of Spartanburg, prior to the murder. Sutherland had 2 knives in his possession and he wore a pair of gray tennis shoes as he sat in the passenger side of the vehicle. Three days after the murder, the couple was stopped again driving the U-Haul. Sutherland was riding in a passenger seat. One of the knives visible in the previous traffic stop was missing. Deputies found a blood spot on the passenger door frame that matched Wood’s DNA. Deputies determined the U-Haul was rented by Berridge’s mother. Sutherland and Amy Berridge were present when the rental agreement was signed. The gray shoes worn by Sutherland during the crime were recovered on property owned by the grandmother of Berridge. Blood found on one of the shoes was matched to Wood’s DNA. Please see weblink: https://www.wyff4.com/article/suspect-who-beat-stabbed-man-to-death-after-giving-him-a-ride-from-gas-station-is-sentenced/25351384

Violent crime

State v. Deadrian Paul Garcia

Nov 08, 2018

OUTCOME: Pled guilty to 26 Counts including Murder, AR, PWDVC, and Kidnapping- received a Fifty (50) year sentence.

Garcia shot Anthony Duane Tiffany, 31, of Union, during the March 31, 2017 robbery of the Kentucky Fried Chicken at 254 Cedar Springs Road. Garcia and his co-defendant, Jyquez Freeman, 20, of Roebuck, ... entered the restaurant about 9:25 p.m. Four employees of the business were held against their will at gunpoint while Tiffany, the store manager, was forced into the office. The store’s video surveillance system captured Garcia shooting Tiffany 3 times in the chest and back. The video showed Garcia reaching over Twitty’s body and trying to open the safe. When the safe failed to open, Garcia kicked dying manager and emptied the victim’s pockets. The video helped the police to identify Garcia as the shooter and Freeman as the accomplice. After the shooting, a resident near the business found a revolver and a mask wrapped in a black jacket outside of his home. The recovered property matched the security video. A DNA sample taken from the mask matched Freeman. On April 7, 2017, police obtained arrest warrants on another armed robbery case and went to home where Garcia and Freeman lived. Garcia was arrested on the spot while Freeman fled the scene. During the execution of a search warrant on the residence, police found the murder weapon, latex gloves and a substantial amount of cash. Freeman was found guilty of murder and other charges in a trial that occurred last month. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison without parole or early release. Garcia’s other convictions include the armed robberies of restaurants and convenience stores. The victims include Waffle House, Spinx, Domino’s Pizza and Circle K. Please see- Weblink: https://www.wspa.com/news/man-gets-50-years-for-kfc-murder-crime-spree-in-spartanburg-co/1581

Violent crime

State v. Jyquez Freeman

Oct 11, 2018

OUTCOME: Trial- Murder-Guilty- 40 Years, Armed Robbery- 30 years, Kidnapping (4 counts)- 30 years on each, and PWDVC- 5 years concurrent

On March 31, 2017, at the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) on 228 Ceder Springs Road, Four KFC employees were held at gunpoint while Anthony Tiffany, who was the store manager, was forced into the office. ... He was shot three times in the chest and back. Freeman, along with 20-year-old Deadrian Garcia of Spartanburg, wore masks and wielded handguns when they entered the restaurant around 10:30 p.m. that night. Following the shooting, a resident nearby found a revolver and mask wrapped in a black jacket outside of his home, and the recovered evidence matched security video. A DNA sample ultimately linked Freeman to the shooting. When police attempted to arrest both Garcia and Freeman on April 7, 2017, they were able to arrest Garcia on the spot while Freeman fled the scene. Police later recovered the murder weapon, latex gloves, and a substantial amount of cash. Please see web link: https://www.goupstate.com/news/20181011/roebuck-man-sentenced-to-40-years-in-fatal-kfc-robbery

Violent crime

State v. Lance Antonio Brewton

Aug 22, 2018

OUTCOME: Trial- Guilty of Murder- Life Sentence and PWDVC

Lance Antonio Brewton, 39, was found guilty of murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime after a three-day jury trial. Brewton shot 24-year-old Natalie Rae Niemitalo to death on Sept. 25 ... , 2017, at her Zimmerman Road home. Please see web link: http://www.goupstate.com/news/20180822/taylors-man-sentenced-to-prison-for-fatal-spartanburg-shooting

Barry Joe Barnette's Legal Cases (87)

State v. Charles Jacob Bridges

State v. Derrick Burnside

State v. Eddie Jerome Motts

State v. Michael Kelley, II

State v. Gregory Scott Greene

State v. Bobby Brown, II

State v. Roy Gene Sutherland

State v. Deadrian Paul Garcia

State v. Jyquez Freeman

State v. Lance Antonio Brewton