In taped confession, DC gentleman won’t be able to reveal handyman’s decapitation
Christine Blau
3 min read
In a chilling confession played in courtroom, Lavaughn Barnes said he couldn’t make clear why he murdered his sister’s handyman and dumped his headless overall body in the yard
WASHINGTON — Notice: Aspects in this story are graphic and may well be disturbing to some viewers. Discretion is advised.
A D.C. decide listened to a chilling confession Friday from a 32-calendar year-previous male charged with murdering a handyman, dismembering the overall body and burying it in the backyard, where he still left it for a few months right before contacting 911 to switch himself in.
Lavaughn Barnes was indicted on a charge of premeditated to start with-diploma murder although armed in the the dying of Abdulio Arias-Lopez. In accordance to a taped confession that was performed in court, Barnes obtained mad at Arias-Lopez on Nov. 2, when he was portray Barnes’ sister’s dwelling — where by Barnes lived in the basement. That night, Barnes then requested a taser on-line.
When Arias-Lopez came again a number of times later, Barnes confessed to a detective that he shot the handyman in the back again of the head with the stun gun, dropping him to the ground. Arias-Lopez allegedly pleaded with Barnes, asking why he was doing this.
Barnes told detectives he punched and kicked the handyman, dragged his physique to the basement, stabbed him twice in the buttocks and took him outside, nevertheless alive and moaning in soreness. He then instructed the detective that he went to a hardware retail outlet, acquired an ax and used it to decapitate and dismember Arias-Lopez, in advance of placing the system areas in a trash bag.
Three months later on, on Feb. 3, Barnes referred to as 911 and claimed he experienced just observed human continues to be in his yard. Bodycam video proven in courtroom shows a responding officer talking to Barnes on the measures exterior the house in the 1300 block of Kearny Road Northeast telling the officer that he had been chopping down bamboo when he discovered the continues to be.
Investigators say the body was located beneath black, unopened trash bags in the rear of the property. Judging by the advancement of the bamboo close to the entire body, staff with the Urban Forestry Unit approximated it experienced been in that location for two to a few months, the documents say.
Barnes’ sister confirmed investigators text messages with the handyman from Nov. 4, 2022 and claimed that was the final time she had read from him, documents say.
In the audio of his confession two months immediately after he termed 911, Barnes explained to detectives he didn’t know why he was so indignant at Arias-Lopez.
“It was like a dim cloud that was around my head,” he mentioned in the confession tape. “I am sorry. I repented to God. You can go ahead and execute me.”
D.C. has abolished the death penalty, however.
Barnes’ sister has beforehand informed law enforcement her brother is “mentally challenged” and “sometimes gradual to answer when questioned.”
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