Murder of Barbara Barnes

Barbara Ann Barnes was an American thirteen-year-old school girl who was murdered in December of 1995. The case remains unsolved to this day. Many have speculated that her grandfather may have been responsible for her death, but others believe that the crime was committed by someone local to the area. Journalist James Renner has published his theory that the case may be connected to the murders of Tina Harmon, Krista Harrison, Deborah Smith and Amy Mihaljevic. Background: Barnes was described to have been a soft-spoken girl who did well in school. She was in eighth grade and attended the nearby Harding Middle School. Because of the short distance between her home and her school, she walked to and from it every day, along with many other students. Her father had been shot to death in 1989, which had affected her to the point where her personality had changed. Disappearance and murder: It was reported that Barnes was seen walking to school in her hometown of Steubenville, Ohio when she was believed to have been kidnapped on December 7, 1995, by a classmate who was reportedly walking behind her prior to the beginning of the school day. After she failed to return home, an investigation began, including statewide searches. On February 22, 1996, her remains were discovered by surveyors in a riverbed and the cause of death was determined by examiners to have been by strangulation and she had also been raped. Investigation: Although her body was discovered on the property of her uncle, Louis Boyce, he has yet to be charged with her murder. Boyce has remained under suspicion due to the fact that he reportedly did not pass a polygraph test regarding the murder of Barbara. He is also believed by Barnes' family as well as members of the city to have been partially responsible for the murder of Barbara's father, although one man is currently serving life in prison for his death. A friend of Boyce expressed that it was unlikely that her grandfather had anything to do with the murder, stating that it was not likely for him to have harmed any of his grandchildren. Other leads include a Florida man convicted of abducting children who had been present in Steubenville when Barbara Barnes was abducted, although some members of the police department are skeptical, supporting the theory that she may have been murdered by someone native to the area.