Husband, roommates charged in death of woman missing since August, police say

ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. (WHNS/Gray News) - The husband and roommates of a woman who has been missing since August have been charged with her death.

The Town of Pendleton Police Department said Jessica Barnes, 20, was last seen on Aug. 1.

Remains were found in a wooded area of Twin Lake in Pickens County, South Carolina, on Sept. 19, and Tuesday, officials confirmed the remains were of Jessica Barnes.

Authorities said her cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation by strangulation.

According to an arrest warrant, Brandon Barnes strangled his wife to death. Their roommates Kendall Mims and Victoria Tippett helped Brandon Barnes get rid of his wife’s body.

Pendleton Police Chief Robert Crosby said the case stunned even experienced investigators.

After initial interviews, Brandon Barnes told investigators she often went missing for days, even weeks.

“We realized that we had a little bit more on our hands than a potential missing person due to the fact that you know, most 20-year-old ladies don’t leave anywhere without a phone or some sort of social media trace or anything like that,” Crosby said.

Investigators discovered Brandon Barnes visited the Twin Lakes area several times after Jessica Barnes went missing. A search of the woods led to her body, and dental records confirmed her identity.

Investigators interviewed Brandon Barnes, Mims and Tippett on Tuesday. They all confessed to their involvement in Jessica Barnes’s death.

Crosby said Brandon and Jessica Barnes had marital issues.

Brandon Barnes is charged with murder. Mims and Tippett are both charged with accessory after the fact, obstruction of justice and misprision of a felony, according to authorities.

On Wednesday, a judge denied bond for all three suspects.

“Jessica had ambition. She had dreams and her soul was a constant witness to others through her faith,” said Troy Styles, Jessica Barnes’ family advocate.

Brandon Barnes is the father of an infant, and the baby is now in the custody of his family.

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