| Odell Barnes Jr. | |
| Birth Date: | 22 March 1968 |
| Birth Place: | Wichita County, Texas, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Huntsville Unit, Huntsville, Texas, U.S. |
| Cause: | Execution by lethal injection |
| Conviction: | Capital murder |
| Conviction Penalty: | Death |
| Conviction Status: | Executed |
| Occupation: | Construction worker |
Odell Barnes Jr. (March 22, 1968, - March 1, 2000) was a Texas man convicted of the 1989 murder of Helen Bass.[1] During the later stages of Barnes' legal appeals, human rights groups and anti-death penalty advocates raised questions about Barnes' murder conviction, leading to international media attention and diplomatic protests from the government of France. Barnes was executed on March 1, 2000.
The murder occurred on November 29, 1989, in Wichita Falls, Texas. Bass, 42, was surprised by Barnes, who had broken into her home while at work, then robbed, beaten, stabbed, and killed by a headshot. She may have also been raped.
Barnes's conviction was based on forensic evidence and witness testimony placing him at the crime scene. His fingerprints were on a bedside lamp that was used to bludgeon Bass, traces of his semen were present at the scene, and two patches of blood on his clothing were confirmed by DNA analysis to have been hers. Prosecution witnesses described seeing Barnes trespassing in Bass's yard about one hour before she returned from work. When arrested, he had a .32 caliber pistol belonging to Bass.
Barnes had a prior record for two robberies. He had been unable to afford his lawyers, and the Wichita County Public Defender's office was not equipped to handle his case, so two local attorneys were appointed for him. Their budget and preparation were minimal, no defense investigation was conducted, and no forensic tests were ordered by the defense. Barnes was convicted by the jury after three hours of deliberation and sentenced to death shortly after.
During Barnes' appeals process, two new attorneys were appointed to his case by a Federal court. European anti-death penalty activists contributed some $16,000 to his defense fund, and the new lawyers paid for forensic tests out of their pocket. The new defense team uncovered deficiencies in the forensic evidence, serious errors and oversights by the original defense team, and problems with the credibility of prosecution witnesses.
Barnes was executed on March 2, 2000. His last meal request was not really a meal at all; all he wanted was "Justice, Equality, World Peace." His final statement was:
