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On November 12, 2019, Willie James Barden, a fireman from Mississippi, was discovered deceased at his residence. Shot in the chest and found lifeless, he lay in a pool of blood.
The DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department found enough evidence from the scene, including video footage, texts, suicide notes, google searches, and more, which made it clear that Willie James Barden was shot by his wife, Felicia Barden. Felicia’s son Joshua Price also testified to the officers and revealed later that his mother had confessed to him about killing Willie James Barden.
In 2021, Felicia Barden was charged with first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. Snapped Season 34, Episode 10 will replay this brutal homicide. The episode titled Felicia Barden aired on Oxygen Network on September 8, at 6 pm E.T. The official synopsis for the same reads:
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"When a devoted husband and father is found shot to death on his bathroom floor, the case is quickly ruled a homicide. As a key witness starts changing their story, detectives must determine if this was an act of self-defense or premeditated murder."
Five crucial details surrounding the assassination of Willie James Barden
1) A neighbor of the Barden’s found Felicia’s behavior to be odd
After Willie James Barden was found dead inside the bathroom of his Mississippi residence on November 12, 2019, and the interrogations began, a neighbor of the Bardens named Linda McClure revealed to Fox13 that she was a friend to Willie and wasn’t so close to the murderer.
She stated about Felicia that:
"The only time she came out of the house was in her vehicle out the garage then closed the garage door.You never saw her outside....She was the type that seemed like she needed a friend. I tried to be that. I don't know if I was."
2) Felicia Barden had a gun in her mouth
As per reports and as revealed by Felicia’s son, Joshua Price, he found his mother in a sketchy condition after killing her husband. She was spotted by her son while she was trying to kill herself with a gun in her mouth after killing Willie James Barden.
Price came on time, took the gun away, and kept it by, which he later revealed to the authorities. Price speculates that she was in a 'frantic' state and perhaps wanted to kill herself after she murdered her husband indoors.
3) Felicia Barden confessed to her son about killing Willie Barden
Reportedly, Felicia called her son on the day of the murder. Joshua Price, who was then in office, got the news of his step-father’s assassination and then came back home to find him lying in a pool of blood and shot in the chest, after which he made the 911 call and reported the homicide.
Price recently revealed to Oxygen True Crime that when he came home, he asked his mother:
"I just had the simple question of where is Willie and then honestly it was all adrenaline....I am like deadbody, blood, gunshot."
Felicia also told Price to get rid of the video footage of the home, which Price dumped in a bin outside the house.
4) Felicia had blood on her face
As revealed on Oxygen True Crime, Felicia was in a 'frantic' state when she was found. Her face was covered in blood, and she had a very deep cut on her forehead. Initially, Price told the authorities when they arrived that his mother killing Willie James Barden was an act of self-defense.
However, later, he willingly confessed that his mother had revealed to him on call that she killed Willie, which aided the Mississippi officers in arresting Felicia Barden.
5) Google searches indicated that the killing was pre-meditated
As reported and also revealed on Oxygen True Crime, the detectives found gunpowder residue on Felicia Barden’s hands, which proved that she shot Willie and also aided her arrest. Phones recovered from the evidence also pointed out that Willie wanted to divorce her. There was also a suicide note recovered from the texts on the phone.
The sketchiest thing that was found was Google searches on "how to get away with murder," which was revealed by Oxygen True Crime. This made it easy to understand how the homicide was premeditated.
To know everything about this homicide, watch Snapped Season 34, Episode 10.
