A brutal murderer that killed a woman in 1988 is set to meet his maker after dropping all of his appeals and saying he was ready to die, according to Newsmax. The 61-year-old James Phillip Barnes is set to be executed by lethal injection 35 years after he assaulted and then beat a nurse with a hammer before setting her on fire in her bed.
Barnes was reportedly serving a life sentence for strangling his 44-year-old wife, Linda Barnes, in 1997. In 2005, he wrote letters to a state prosecutor saying that he is responsible for the murder of Patricia “Patsy” Miller. DNA evidence at the scene also corroborated Barnes’ claim. In a new trial, Barnes represented himself and pleaded guilty. He accepted the death penalty.
During an interview with German filmmaker Werner Herzog, Barnes admitted to having a bad encounter with Miller, which allegedly left him feeling “terribly humiliated.” He also revealed that he converted to Islam and feels remorse about what he did, despite what others may say.
Barnes had a troubled upbringing and was in and out of jail as a teenager. Defense attorneys appointed to his case were seeking appeals to the life sentence he faced, citing mental incompetency. A couple of doctors then reportedly diagnosed him with personality disorder, and antisocial and sociopathic traits, but ultimately determined that he was competent enough to understand what he did. As a result, his conviction and sentence were upheld.
The news comes as authorities are trying to solve the Gilgo Beach murders. Authorities are reportedly linking two suspects together, including Rex Heuermann and John Bittrolff. While the murders are similar, an interesting fact that has recently been revealed is that Bittrolff has appeared in Heuermann’s internet searches. Both suspects’ victims are women in the adult industry.
