11x32 - Critical Maneuver
Posted: 01/19/24 07:40
Narrator: a computer hard
Drive holds hundreds of secrets.
Every keystroke, every download,
Every deletion tells a story.
But if someone downloads a song
About m*rder, does it make him a
About m*rder, does it make him a k*ller?
k*ller?
It was a hot august night in
Jacksonville, florida, and a
Time of celebration for april
And justin barber.
It was their third wedding
Anniversary, and april was about
To finish her training as a
Radiology technician.
April barber had gone into
The field of oncology,
Specifically radiology-type
Treatment for cancer patients,
Which was inspired by her
Mother's death with cancer.
Narrator: justin had good
News, too.
He had just got a job as a
Financial analyst for a large
Lumber company.
He was a very good guy --
Very smart, very successful, had
Everything going for him.
I mean, just like my sister.
I mean, they were two of a kind,
I guess.
Narrator: the couple's
Anniversary dinner was at an
Italian restaurant.
Later, they took a walk along
The beach.
But their romantic evening ended
There when a man with a g*n
Demanded money.
Give me your money and your
Jewelry.
Narrator: april diverted the
Man's attention.
Justin tried to grab the g*n.
sh*ts were fired...
And that's the last thing justin
Remembered.
When he regained consciousness,
He realized he had been sh*t and
Was bleeding.
He found april unconscious and
Facedown in the water.
Justin dragged april's body
About yards, toward their
Car, but his wounds made it
Impossible to carry her up the
Long flight of stairs.
So he left her near the
Boardwalk and drove for help.
He flagged down a motorist a few
He flagged down a motorist a few miles away.
Miles away.
Justin told the ambulance crew
That april was down on the
Beach.
By the time they got there, she
Was dead from a single g*nsh*t
Wound to her face.
People were calling me,
Telling me my sister was sh*t.
I was in shock.
It was -- I mean, it was nothing
I expected.
Narrator: at the hospital
Emergency room, doctors treated
Justin for four g*nsh*t wounds.
[ g*nshots ]
He survived but was unable to
Provide a good description of
Their attacker.
Justin couldn't see his face,
And it was too dark, and I
Believe that it is too dark to
See anybody's face out there.
Narrator: at the beach,
Police didn't find much
Evidence, just the impressions
From justin dragging april's
Body in the sand.
And the tides were rising.
Soon, there would be nothing
Left of the crime scene.
Narrator: initially, it
Looked like a robbery gone
Wrong.
A man demanded money from april
And justin barber while they
Were walking on the beach, and
They were both sh*t.
But robbery may not have been
The motive.
When they looked at
April barber's body, she had on
Her jewelry, an expensive ring,
Earrings, and her watch.
If this were a robbery, why was
Nothing taken?
Narrator: at the autopsy, the
Medical examiner discovered foam
Around april's mouth.
The foam was still present
Around her nose or mouth or
Both, and it's due to the damage
The salt water causes to the
Lining of the lung.
Narrator: dr. Steiner also
Noticed that the blood from
April's g*nsh*t wound was on top
Of the foam.
This meant that april had almost
Drowned but survived and was
sh*t afterwards.
My conclusions were that she
Had suffered a near-drowning
Episode and she had been sh*t
While she was alive.
If she had been dead from the
Drowning, there wouldn't have
Been any vital reaction to the
g*nsh*t.
There wouldn't have been a
Hemorrhage into the sinus.
Narrator: but why did the
Autopsy findings differ from
Justin's version of the
Incident?
It would be very traumatic.
The incident itself was very
Traumatic to him if it had
Occurred as he stated.
His wife is now missing.
He's been sh*t four times.
And I wouldn't expect a lot of
Detail from a person who just
Went through that type of
Traumatic experience.
Narrator: eventually, as
Justin recuperated from his
Wounds, he provided a much
Better description of the
Assailant -- good enough for
Police to create a sketch.
He was taller than me,
Heavier, but he wasn't
Overweight.
He was strong.
His shirt was dark.
It was baggy.
It was a t-shirt.
Right.
He had a dark hat, like a
Baseball cap.
Narrator: incredibly, the
Police sketch resembled a local
Man -- -year-old
David alan shuey, who had
Previous arrests for sexual
as*ault.
In fact, shuey allegedly used a
g*n while committing an as*ault
On the same beach where justin
And april were sh*t.
He went down to the beach to
Find a female.
She was sunbathing, topless
On the beach.
A gentleman came up, somehow
Confronted her, certainly
Intended on doing some type of
Sexual as*ault, sexual battery
To her.
Narrator: fortunately, the
Victim got away, but she later
Identified shuey as her
Attacker.
So police questioned shuey
Regarding his whereabouts on the
Night of april barber's m*rder.
He denied any involvement and
Claimed he had an alibi.
We ran all his credit cards
Because he was all over the
Country, unfortunately,
Committing r*pes.
We know from his credit-card
Records that he was in
Connecticut, living with his
Fiancée, at the time of this
Homicide, so we absolutely know
He was not the assailant.
Narrator: next, investigators
Looked into justin barber's
Background.
I talked to justin, and I
Said, "tell me about your
Marriage."
"We had a happy and normal
Marriage."
"Have you ever had an affair?"
"No. Never."
Narrator: but investigators
Dug deeper and learned that
Justin was having an affair with
His tennis partner,
Shannon kennedy.
So I said, "justin, listen.
Here's the deal.
I got shannon in the next room.
She's saying y'all are engaged
In an extramarital affair.
I'm gonna bring her in here, and
We're gonna get to the bottom of
It."
He's like, "no. Don't do that.
We are.
I don't want to get her
Involved."
I'm thinking, "well, why in the
Heck is this guy lying about
This?"
I mean, your wife is dead.
Don't lie to the guy that's
Trying to help you.
Who knows where that could lead?
Narrator: and april's friends
Told police that she knew all
About her husband's affair.
She told everybody who would
Listen to her -- "justin's
Having an affair.
I know he is.
I confronted him about it."
At the time, it appeared that
He was only dating one other
Person, but it appeared that he
Had as many as five extramarital
Affairs during the three-year
Marriage.
Narrator: police asked
Justin barber for permission to
Search his home, and he was
Happy to comply.
He also made his computer
Available.
He had it all boxed up, ready
When the detectives came, and he
Said, "here it is," and hands it
To them.
Narrator: justin's computer
Went to chris hendry of
Florida's computer evidence
Recovery section.
I made a copy of justin's
Home-computer hard drive.
The next thing I did was go
Through and look for anything
That would have been deleted,
Such as folders and files.
Narrator: one of the first
Things hendry noticed was that
Justin downloaded a song onto
His computer just hours before
His wife's death.
The lyrics are violent.
They're about k*lling somebody.
Narrator: it was a song by
The group g*ns n' roses, with
The lyrics "I used to love her,
But I had to k*ll her.
She drove me nuts, and now I'm
Happier this way."
It's kind of strange this is
Deleted hours before we actually
Got the machine.
Narrator: was this merely a
Coincidence?
After all, it was only a song.
Narrator: justin barber told
Police that a robber sh*t his
Wife, april, in the head and
sh*t him four times while they
Were walking on the beach.
[ g*nshots ]
He claimed he passed out, later
Regained consciousness, and
Found his wife facedown in the
Found his wife facedown in the ocean.
Ocean.
But the forensic evidence
Contradicted parts of justin's
Story.
She had evidence of
Abrasions -- small abrasions --
On her collarbone, by her ear,
And on the back of the neck that
Are consistent with force or
Pressure being placed there.
Could this have been caused by
Forcibly being held in the
Water?
Yes.
Narrator: and on justin's
Computer, forensic experts found
Evidence of a possible motive.
Apparently, justin had been
Trading stocks on the internet,
And he wasn't doing very well.
We have his e-trading.
He got himself quickly into
$,, $, In debt just on
That.
It didn't appear that any of his
Trades paid off.
He lost quite a bit of money.
Narrator: to cover the
Losses, justin borrowed money
Against his credit cards at very
High interest rates.
You can't get any worse than
That.
You're borrowing money at %
To pay off money that you lost
In the stock market.
Justin barber should have
Been a little bit brighter with
His money.
That was a time of low-interest
Home-equity loans.
That's really significant
When you talk about somebody
Who's a finance major and has an
Mba in business.
Also, it's important to note the
Psychological effects of a lot
Of consumer debt.
That affects people's psyche.
Narrator: also suspicious --
Investigators learned that april
Owned a $-million
Life-insurance policy, which she
Bought primarily to support her
Younger brother and sister in
The event of her death.
We didn't have our mother.
We didn't have our father.
So april felt like it was her
Responsibility to take care of
Us -- if something happened to
Her -- and justin knew that,
Too, and that was a big part of
The reason for those.
Narrator: but justin was the
Sole beneficiary, which meant he
Could have done anything he
Wanted with the money.
Was this enough motive to k*ll
His wife and then...
[ g*nshots ]
...sh**t himself four times to
Cover it up?
Risky, but people do a lot of
Crazy things for over
$ Million.
Narrator: using an
Ultraviolet light, crime-scene
Reconstructionist jerry findley
Examined the shirt justin was
Wearing on the night of the
att*ck.
You could see some visible
g*nsh*t residue, or what
Appeared to be g*nsh*t residue.
And looking at it with the
Ultraviolet light, I wanted to
See the extent of the pattern.
Narrator: the g*nsh*t residue
Could have come from justin
Being in close contact with the
Assailant.
But the angles of the b*llet
Wounds to justin's body were
Another matter.
One sh*t went through his left
Hand.
The other three sh*ts were
Directed away from vital organs
And bone -- a remarkable
Coincidence.
To me, the location of them
Was not consistent with a
Mugger, even somebody struggling
Over a g*n.
If you've already sh*t and
k*lled one person and you've
sh*t another one four times,
You're not gonna leave a
Witness.
Narrator: investigators also
Analyzed april's clothing and
Found another inconsistency.
Justin claimed that he carried
April's body yards up to the
Base of the stairs after they
Had both been sh*t by the
Assailant.
One of the g*nsh*t entries
That he had sustained is on his
Left hand, so his hand would
Have been bleeding and bleeding
Quite a bit, and there should be
Blood all over the waistline,
The waist, and the front of
Those pants of april barber,
And, in fact, there was not.
If she's bleeding from this
g*nsh*t, one, she did not have
It on her body or clothing, and
He doesn't have it on his.
So I think that that speaks for
Itself.
Narrator: and by the
Direction the blood traveled
From the wound, investigators
Could tell april's body had not
Been moved after she was sh*t.
Blood flow on april barber
Was in one direction, which was
Straight down to the left from
The g*nsh*t wound, and if the
Body had been moved in various
Positions, the blood flow would
Have changed.
Narrator: and, finally, there
Was something else that bothered
Investigators.
Why didn't justin use april's
Cellphone that was in her purse
In the car?
Why wouldn't he just call on
Her cellphone and get help?
He had to get rid of the g*n.
Narrator: unfortunately,
Police couldn't find the m*rder
w*apon in the thick vegetation
Along the -mile stretch of
Road.
But they did discover one last
Tantalizing piece of evidence on
Justin's computer -- almost more
Valuable than finding the m*rder
w*apon.
Narrator: on justin barber's
Computer, forensic experts found
E-mail evidence of his
Extramarital affairs and
Financial records proving he was
Deeply in debt.
But that wasn't all.
Forensic experts also discovered
That in the weeks and months
Leading up to april's m*rder,
Justin searched various websites
Looking for information on blood
Loss and g*nsh*t wounds to the
Right chest.
What's the chances of
Somebody researching that thing
Very specifically -- g*nsh*t
Wounds to the right chest -- and
Then six months later getting
sh*t in the right chest?
I just don't believe that's
Possible.
Narrator: prosecutors believe
That when april barber learned
About her husband's infidelity
And his financial problems, she
Wanted a divorce.
I believe april barber had a
Very good idea of how bad the
Debt was.
She told her loved ones the
Marriage was failing, that she
Tried numerous times to try and
Straighten it out or fix things
With justin, but that they
Weren't improving.
Narrator: prosecutors also
Believe that justin wanted the
$ Million from april's
Life-insurance policy.
So he searched computer websites
To learn how to sh**t himself
Without inflicting serious
Injury.
Justin believed if he drove to
The hospital with g*nsh*t
Wounds, everyone would believe
His robbery story.
Justin barber wanted it all.
He wanted, in my belief, to show
Up with his bride in the s.u.v.
At the hospital as a hero -- as
Somebody who was not only a
Hero, but also a victim --
Collect the money, have
Everybody feel sorry for him,
Move on with his life from
There.
Narrator: but it didn't turn
Out that way.
They say when you commit a
Homicide, you make about
Mistakes and you can't remember
But about five.
Narrator: the first mistake
That night happened just after
: P.m.
Justin downloaded the
g*ns n' roses song -- "I used to
Love her, but I had to k*ll
Her."
What time is our reservation?
Narrator: prosecutors believe
That april told justin over
Dinner that she wanted a
Divorce.
After that, justin enticed april
To go for a walk along the
Beach, possibly to continue
Their discussion about how to
End their marriage amicably.
But right away, his plan fell
Apart.
Perhaps april sensed something
Was amiss or she saw the g*n.
[ Screams ]
Narrator: either way, there
Was a struggle.
Justin subdued her by holding
Her head under the water until
She lost consciousness.
He then carried her towards the
Car, but there was no blood
Transfer because, at that point,
Neither one was bleeding.
He fired a single sh*t into
April's head.
The blood from her head wound
Was now on top of the foam
Produced by the near drowning.
Justin then sh*t himself four
Times, careful not to break any
Bones or hit vital organs.
But the excruciating pain and
The daunting task of carrying
April's body up the long flight
Of stairs required a change of
Plans.
He had no choice but to leave
April's body there.
Justin got rid of the m*rder
w*apon somewhere along the
Highway, then tried to gather
His thoughts and compose a
Possible explanation for the
Water in april's lungs.
He drove for miles, passing
Numerous homes and businesses
Along the way, before he asked a
Fellow motorist to call .
Justin said that he didn't
Want to stop at one of the
Houses 'cause he did not want to
Wake up an old man or something
To that effect.
Narrator: perhaps the oddest
Piece of forensic evidence was
That justin erased the
g*ns n' roses song from his
Computer just an hour or so
Before turning it over to
Police.
It's hard to hear that he did
It.
I mean, he was somebody I
Trusted and I looked up to.
I mean, there's not a day that
Goes by that I don't think about
My sister.
Narrator: in june of ,
Justin barber went on trial for
The first-degree m*rder of his
Wife, april.
The forensic evidence was simply
Too much to overcome.
He was convicted and sentenced
To life in prison.
Investigators describe it as one
Of the most unusual and
Cold-blooded cases they've ever
Seen.
If you take somebody like
Justin barber, who's probably a
Sociopath, who's probably
Narcissistic, he looks at
Everything as how it suits him.
He did not want the stigma of a
Divorce.
There were no independent
Witnesses, other than the
Decedent and the m*rder*r.
You know, there were only two
People on that beach, so, in
This case, forensics made the
Entire case.
The truth of the matter is,
With the physical evidence we
Have, once we developed it,
Analyzed it, and had it in its
Final form and compared it to
The story, it revealed that
Drive holds hundreds of secrets.
Every keystroke, every download,
Every deletion tells a story.
But if someone downloads a song
About m*rder, does it make him a
About m*rder, does it make him a k*ller?
k*ller?
It was a hot august night in
Jacksonville, florida, and a
Time of celebration for april
And justin barber.
It was their third wedding
Anniversary, and april was about
To finish her training as a
Radiology technician.
April barber had gone into
The field of oncology,
Specifically radiology-type
Treatment for cancer patients,
Which was inspired by her
Mother's death with cancer.
Narrator: justin had good
News, too.
He had just got a job as a
Financial analyst for a large
Lumber company.
He was a very good guy --
Very smart, very successful, had
Everything going for him.
I mean, just like my sister.
I mean, they were two of a kind,
I guess.
Narrator: the couple's
Anniversary dinner was at an
Italian restaurant.
Later, they took a walk along
The beach.
But their romantic evening ended
There when a man with a g*n
Demanded money.
Give me your money and your
Jewelry.
Narrator: april diverted the
Man's attention.
Justin tried to grab the g*n.
sh*ts were fired...
And that's the last thing justin
Remembered.
When he regained consciousness,
He realized he had been sh*t and
Was bleeding.
He found april unconscious and
Facedown in the water.
Justin dragged april's body
About yards, toward their
Car, but his wounds made it
Impossible to carry her up the
Long flight of stairs.
So he left her near the
Boardwalk and drove for help.
He flagged down a motorist a few
He flagged down a motorist a few miles away.
Miles away.
Justin told the ambulance crew
That april was down on the
Beach.
By the time they got there, she
Was dead from a single g*nsh*t
Wound to her face.
People were calling me,
Telling me my sister was sh*t.
I was in shock.
It was -- I mean, it was nothing
I expected.
Narrator: at the hospital
Emergency room, doctors treated
Justin for four g*nsh*t wounds.
[ g*nshots ]
He survived but was unable to
Provide a good description of
Their attacker.
Justin couldn't see his face,
And it was too dark, and I
Believe that it is too dark to
See anybody's face out there.
Narrator: at the beach,
Police didn't find much
Evidence, just the impressions
From justin dragging april's
Body in the sand.
And the tides were rising.
Soon, there would be nothing
Left of the crime scene.
Narrator: initially, it
Looked like a robbery gone
Wrong.
A man demanded money from april
And justin barber while they
Were walking on the beach, and
They were both sh*t.
But robbery may not have been
The motive.
When they looked at
April barber's body, she had on
Her jewelry, an expensive ring,
Earrings, and her watch.
If this were a robbery, why was
Nothing taken?
Narrator: at the autopsy, the
Medical examiner discovered foam
Around april's mouth.
The foam was still present
Around her nose or mouth or
Both, and it's due to the damage
The salt water causes to the
Lining of the lung.
Narrator: dr. Steiner also
Noticed that the blood from
April's g*nsh*t wound was on top
Of the foam.
This meant that april had almost
Drowned but survived and was
sh*t afterwards.
My conclusions were that she
Had suffered a near-drowning
Episode and she had been sh*t
While she was alive.
If she had been dead from the
Drowning, there wouldn't have
Been any vital reaction to the
g*nsh*t.
There wouldn't have been a
Hemorrhage into the sinus.
Narrator: but why did the
Autopsy findings differ from
Justin's version of the
Incident?
It would be very traumatic.
The incident itself was very
Traumatic to him if it had
Occurred as he stated.
His wife is now missing.
He's been sh*t four times.
And I wouldn't expect a lot of
Detail from a person who just
Went through that type of
Traumatic experience.
Narrator: eventually, as
Justin recuperated from his
Wounds, he provided a much
Better description of the
Assailant -- good enough for
Police to create a sketch.
He was taller than me,
Heavier, but he wasn't
Overweight.
He was strong.
His shirt was dark.
It was baggy.
It was a t-shirt.
Right.
He had a dark hat, like a
Baseball cap.
Narrator: incredibly, the
Police sketch resembled a local
Man -- -year-old
David alan shuey, who had
Previous arrests for sexual
as*ault.
In fact, shuey allegedly used a
g*n while committing an as*ault
On the same beach where justin
And april were sh*t.
He went down to the beach to
Find a female.
She was sunbathing, topless
On the beach.
A gentleman came up, somehow
Confronted her, certainly
Intended on doing some type of
Sexual as*ault, sexual battery
To her.
Narrator: fortunately, the
Victim got away, but she later
Identified shuey as her
Attacker.
So police questioned shuey
Regarding his whereabouts on the
Night of april barber's m*rder.
He denied any involvement and
Claimed he had an alibi.
We ran all his credit cards
Because he was all over the
Country, unfortunately,
Committing r*pes.
We know from his credit-card
Records that he was in
Connecticut, living with his
Fiancée, at the time of this
Homicide, so we absolutely know
He was not the assailant.
Narrator: next, investigators
Looked into justin barber's
Background.
I talked to justin, and I
Said, "tell me about your
Marriage."
"We had a happy and normal
Marriage."
"Have you ever had an affair?"
"No. Never."
Narrator: but investigators
Dug deeper and learned that
Justin was having an affair with
His tennis partner,
Shannon kennedy.
So I said, "justin, listen.
Here's the deal.
I got shannon in the next room.
She's saying y'all are engaged
In an extramarital affair.
I'm gonna bring her in here, and
We're gonna get to the bottom of
It."
He's like, "no. Don't do that.
We are.
I don't want to get her
Involved."
I'm thinking, "well, why in the
Heck is this guy lying about
This?"
I mean, your wife is dead.
Don't lie to the guy that's
Trying to help you.
Who knows where that could lead?
Narrator: and april's friends
Told police that she knew all
About her husband's affair.
She told everybody who would
Listen to her -- "justin's
Having an affair.
I know he is.
I confronted him about it."
At the time, it appeared that
He was only dating one other
Person, but it appeared that he
Had as many as five extramarital
Affairs during the three-year
Marriage.
Narrator: police asked
Justin barber for permission to
Search his home, and he was
Happy to comply.
He also made his computer
Available.
He had it all boxed up, ready
When the detectives came, and he
Said, "here it is," and hands it
To them.
Narrator: justin's computer
Went to chris hendry of
Florida's computer evidence
Recovery section.
I made a copy of justin's
Home-computer hard drive.
The next thing I did was go
Through and look for anything
That would have been deleted,
Such as folders and files.
Narrator: one of the first
Things hendry noticed was that
Justin downloaded a song onto
His computer just hours before
His wife's death.
The lyrics are violent.
They're about k*lling somebody.
Narrator: it was a song by
The group g*ns n' roses, with
The lyrics "I used to love her,
But I had to k*ll her.
She drove me nuts, and now I'm
Happier this way."
It's kind of strange this is
Deleted hours before we actually
Got the machine.
Narrator: was this merely a
Coincidence?
After all, it was only a song.
Narrator: justin barber told
Police that a robber sh*t his
Wife, april, in the head and
sh*t him four times while they
Were walking on the beach.
[ g*nshots ]
He claimed he passed out, later
Regained consciousness, and
Found his wife facedown in the
Found his wife facedown in the ocean.
Ocean.
But the forensic evidence
Contradicted parts of justin's
Story.
She had evidence of
Abrasions -- small abrasions --
On her collarbone, by her ear,
And on the back of the neck that
Are consistent with force or
Pressure being placed there.
Could this have been caused by
Forcibly being held in the
Water?
Yes.
Narrator: and on justin's
Computer, forensic experts found
Evidence of a possible motive.
Apparently, justin had been
Trading stocks on the internet,
And he wasn't doing very well.
We have his e-trading.
He got himself quickly into
$,, $, In debt just on
That.
It didn't appear that any of his
Trades paid off.
He lost quite a bit of money.
Narrator: to cover the
Losses, justin borrowed money
Against his credit cards at very
High interest rates.
You can't get any worse than
That.
You're borrowing money at %
To pay off money that you lost
In the stock market.
Justin barber should have
Been a little bit brighter with
His money.
That was a time of low-interest
Home-equity loans.
That's really significant
When you talk about somebody
Who's a finance major and has an
Mba in business.
Also, it's important to note the
Psychological effects of a lot
Of consumer debt.
That affects people's psyche.
Narrator: also suspicious --
Investigators learned that april
Owned a $-million
Life-insurance policy, which she
Bought primarily to support her
Younger brother and sister in
The event of her death.
We didn't have our mother.
We didn't have our father.
So april felt like it was her
Responsibility to take care of
Us -- if something happened to
Her -- and justin knew that,
Too, and that was a big part of
The reason for those.
Narrator: but justin was the
Sole beneficiary, which meant he
Could have done anything he
Wanted with the money.
Was this enough motive to k*ll
His wife and then...
[ g*nshots ]
...sh**t himself four times to
Cover it up?
Risky, but people do a lot of
Crazy things for over
$ Million.
Narrator: using an
Ultraviolet light, crime-scene
Reconstructionist jerry findley
Examined the shirt justin was
Wearing on the night of the
att*ck.
You could see some visible
g*nsh*t residue, or what
Appeared to be g*nsh*t residue.
And looking at it with the
Ultraviolet light, I wanted to
See the extent of the pattern.
Narrator: the g*nsh*t residue
Could have come from justin
Being in close contact with the
Assailant.
But the angles of the b*llet
Wounds to justin's body were
Another matter.
One sh*t went through his left
Hand.
The other three sh*ts were
Directed away from vital organs
And bone -- a remarkable
Coincidence.
To me, the location of them
Was not consistent with a
Mugger, even somebody struggling
Over a g*n.
If you've already sh*t and
k*lled one person and you've
sh*t another one four times,
You're not gonna leave a
Witness.
Narrator: investigators also
Analyzed april's clothing and
Found another inconsistency.
Justin claimed that he carried
April's body yards up to the
Base of the stairs after they
Had both been sh*t by the
Assailant.
One of the g*nsh*t entries
That he had sustained is on his
Left hand, so his hand would
Have been bleeding and bleeding
Quite a bit, and there should be
Blood all over the waistline,
The waist, and the front of
Those pants of april barber,
And, in fact, there was not.
If she's bleeding from this
g*nsh*t, one, she did not have
It on her body or clothing, and
He doesn't have it on his.
So I think that that speaks for
Itself.
Narrator: and by the
Direction the blood traveled
From the wound, investigators
Could tell april's body had not
Been moved after she was sh*t.
Blood flow on april barber
Was in one direction, which was
Straight down to the left from
The g*nsh*t wound, and if the
Body had been moved in various
Positions, the blood flow would
Have changed.
Narrator: and, finally, there
Was something else that bothered
Investigators.
Why didn't justin use april's
Cellphone that was in her purse
In the car?
Why wouldn't he just call on
Her cellphone and get help?
He had to get rid of the g*n.
Narrator: unfortunately,
Police couldn't find the m*rder
w*apon in the thick vegetation
Along the -mile stretch of
Road.
But they did discover one last
Tantalizing piece of evidence on
Justin's computer -- almost more
Valuable than finding the m*rder
w*apon.
Narrator: on justin barber's
Computer, forensic experts found
E-mail evidence of his
Extramarital affairs and
Financial records proving he was
Deeply in debt.
But that wasn't all.
Forensic experts also discovered
That in the weeks and months
Leading up to april's m*rder,
Justin searched various websites
Looking for information on blood
Loss and g*nsh*t wounds to the
Right chest.
What's the chances of
Somebody researching that thing
Very specifically -- g*nsh*t
Wounds to the right chest -- and
Then six months later getting
sh*t in the right chest?
I just don't believe that's
Possible.
Narrator: prosecutors believe
That when april barber learned
About her husband's infidelity
And his financial problems, she
Wanted a divorce.
I believe april barber had a
Very good idea of how bad the
Debt was.
She told her loved ones the
Marriage was failing, that she
Tried numerous times to try and
Straighten it out or fix things
With justin, but that they
Weren't improving.
Narrator: prosecutors also
Believe that justin wanted the
$ Million from april's
Life-insurance policy.
So he searched computer websites
To learn how to sh**t himself
Without inflicting serious
Injury.
Justin believed if he drove to
The hospital with g*nsh*t
Wounds, everyone would believe
His robbery story.
Justin barber wanted it all.
He wanted, in my belief, to show
Up with his bride in the s.u.v.
At the hospital as a hero -- as
Somebody who was not only a
Hero, but also a victim --
Collect the money, have
Everybody feel sorry for him,
Move on with his life from
There.
Narrator: but it didn't turn
Out that way.
They say when you commit a
Homicide, you make about
Mistakes and you can't remember
But about five.
Narrator: the first mistake
That night happened just after
: P.m.
Justin downloaded the
g*ns n' roses song -- "I used to
Love her, but I had to k*ll
Her."
What time is our reservation?
Narrator: prosecutors believe
That april told justin over
Dinner that she wanted a
Divorce.
After that, justin enticed april
To go for a walk along the
Beach, possibly to continue
Their discussion about how to
End their marriage amicably.
But right away, his plan fell
Apart.
Perhaps april sensed something
Was amiss or she saw the g*n.
[ Screams ]
Narrator: either way, there
Was a struggle.
Justin subdued her by holding
Her head under the water until
She lost consciousness.
He then carried her towards the
Car, but there was no blood
Transfer because, at that point,
Neither one was bleeding.
He fired a single sh*t into
April's head.
The blood from her head wound
Was now on top of the foam
Produced by the near drowning.
Justin then sh*t himself four
Times, careful not to break any
Bones or hit vital organs.
But the excruciating pain and
The daunting task of carrying
April's body up the long flight
Of stairs required a change of
Plans.
He had no choice but to leave
April's body there.
Justin got rid of the m*rder
w*apon somewhere along the
Highway, then tried to gather
His thoughts and compose a
Possible explanation for the
Water in april's lungs.
He drove for miles, passing
Numerous homes and businesses
Along the way, before he asked a
Fellow motorist to call .
Justin said that he didn't
Want to stop at one of the
Houses 'cause he did not want to
Wake up an old man or something
To that effect.
Narrator: perhaps the oddest
Piece of forensic evidence was
That justin erased the
g*ns n' roses song from his
Computer just an hour or so
Before turning it over to
Police.
It's hard to hear that he did
It.
I mean, he was somebody I
Trusted and I looked up to.
I mean, there's not a day that
Goes by that I don't think about
My sister.
Narrator: in june of ,
Justin barber went on trial for
The first-degree m*rder of his
Wife, april.
The forensic evidence was simply
Too much to overcome.
He was convicted and sentenced
To life in prison.
Investigators describe it as one
Of the most unusual and
Cold-blooded cases they've ever
Seen.
If you take somebody like
Justin barber, who's probably a
Sociopath, who's probably
Narcissistic, he looks at
Everything as how it suits him.
He did not want the stigma of a
Divorce.
There were no independent
Witnesses, other than the
Decedent and the m*rder*r.
You know, there were only two
People on that beach, so, in
This case, forensics made the
Entire case.
The truth of the matter is,
With the physical evidence we
Have, once we developed it,
Analyzed it, and had it in its
Final form and compared it to
The story, it revealed that