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Back in November 2016, James Barry became the victim of a heinous murder perpetrated by his then-girlfriend, Melanie Eam. A Loxahatchee resident, Barry’s murder was delved into via the Oxygen series Snapped as it looked into the details of the heinous crime.
Both Barry and his partner were avid gamers, and the Florida residents initially got into a fight due to the former wanting to break up. However, on November 16, Melanie Eam stabbed Barry multiple times which happened right after their confrontation. Melanie, who was known to have received years of therapy, was a reserved and shy person.
She was charged with second-degree murder in January 2019, and is currently serving a sentence of 50 years in prison. Barry was 21 at the time of his murder.
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5 Chilling details about James Barry’s murder
1. A concerning breakup
James Barry and Eam had initially met due to their love for gaming. The two first bonded on their shared passion, eventually finding love and entering a relationship. However, when Barry wanted to end things, the resulting conversation took a dark turn.
Barry had initially attempted to break up via a video game chat, resulting in Eam entering a fit of rage. She grabbed a butcher knife from Barry’s kitchen and stabbed him multiple times. The nature of the initial break-up led to Eam losing her calm. She decided to have a face-to-face conversation, which resulted into a chaotic exchange.
2. The haunting confession
Eam’s confession with respect to the crime came after considerable effort from the authorities. Initially, she was staying in her aunt’s home in Maryland but was eventually questioned by a Florida detective. According to official records, she had finally confessed to the murder in front of the detective at her aunt's home.
However, her attorneys later argued that the confession should not stand as she had not been read her Miranda Rights in advance. However, the appellate court also upheld the conviction, as she had been told multiple times in custody that she was indeed, not under arrest.
3. The trial and retrial
Furthermore, the quest for justice for James Barry was only completed after multiple trials. The first trial initially ended in a mistrial as a unanimous decision could not be reached by the jury. However, during the second trial, Eam was found guilty by a six-person jury of second-degree murder.
The retrial saw a range of James Barry’s family members being involved, as his sister, Alexandria, also gave testimony. Her family, in particular, talked about and described the emotional trauma that they underwent after seeing the photographs of the crime scene. This resulted in a straightforward judgment.
4. The impact on Barry's family
James Barry’s family spoke of a range of events from the aftermath of the murder. James’ father, James Barry Sr., talked about his final conversation with his son. Barry Sr. had spoken about the tumultuous breakup that his son was going through and claimed that he was concerned about how the two had parted ways.
Furthermore, James’ mother, Nicola, described the loss of her son as a "wound that will keep on bleeding." She spoke of the achievements and milestones that she wanted to see her son achieve. Finally, her sister also gave a vivid account of everything the family went through in the aftermath of the murder.
5. The sentencing and aftermath
The sentencing itself provided a sense of justice to James Barry’s family. Melanie Eam’s lawyers had claimed that she did not have a criminal history, and had herself undergone a traumatic life. However, her actions weighed heavily on the judges as they eventually stuck to a 50-year sentence.
Eam’s conviction came despite her own history of sexual abuse, as the judges talked about the extent of consequences Barry's family had to go through. Furthermore, the psychological impact of the crime was also considered, as Eam was sentenced without the possibility of parole, only to safeguard the rest of James’ family.
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