Where is Labrant Dennis now? Details explored ahead of The Real CSI: Miami on CBS

The upcoming episode of The Real CSI: Miami on CBS will focus on the brutal murder of Marlin Barnes and his girlfriend by Labrant Dennis, a popular case in Miami's history. Scheduled to premiere on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, at 10 pm ET, this episode titled Death of a Hurricane is the fourth of the first season. Episode three will also air alongside it, covering the murder of XXXTentacion, the singer from Moonlight (2018).

The official synopsis of episode 4, titled Death of a Hurricane reads as—

"Linebacker Marlin Barnes and his girlfriend are found murdered in his apartment; with no witnesses, investigators delve into Miami's hip-hop scene to unravel the mystery behind their deaths."

The police arrested Labrant Dennis for the murder of Marlin Barnes and Timwanika Lumpkins. Although Dennis claimed to be at a nightclub on the night of the murder, he did not have any strong alibi to save him from this case, especially after the murder weapon (a shotgun) was retrieved by the authorities.

To date, Dennis is in prison in Florida on a condemned row, and can again appeal for further legal fights to plead innocent.

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Who were Marlin Barnes and Timwanika Lumpkins and why were they murdered by Labrant Dennis?

Marlin Barnes, full name Marlin Adarryl Barnes, born April 6, 1974, was a North American football player. He played as a linebacker for the University of Miami Hurricanes. Marlin died at the age of just 22. Timwanika Lumpkins was Marlin’s girlfriend. Before she dated him, she dated Dennis for four years and also bore a daughter with him.

Labrant Dennis, now 48, was once an athlete at Miami Edison High School and later played as a running back at Joliet Junior College in Illinois. Besides his athletic pursuits, Dennis was also involved in rapping.

Tragically, Dennis brutally murdered Lumpkins and Barnes in a Miami on-campus apartment using a broken shotgun. The couple was beaten to death, and Dennis used the shotgun barrel to further harm their faces. His actions stemmed from jealousy, rage, and hatred towards Lumpkins, whom he did not want to get close to Marlin Barnes. Dennis had also previously physically abused Lumpkins.

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Who was the first to enter the crime scene?

Earl Little, Marlin Barnes's best friend and his roommate was the first person who discovered the gruesome crime scene on April 13, 1996.

Little had come to fetch the car keys to his Ford Explorer. Barnes had borrowed the car from Little before the tragedy struck. When Little saw the car, he found both the tires to be slashed. Little suspected something wrong after he saw the car tires in an inadequate condition. Soon, he tried to enter Marlin’s dorm, where he found Lumpkins and Barnes brutally injured. While Barnes was already dead, Lumpkins was still breathing but died moments after Little discovered his friends.

He panicked looking at the gruesome condition of his mates and sought help, following which the police officers arrived and intervened.

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Where is Labrant Dennis now?

After being sentenced for the murder of Lumpkins and Barnes in 1999, Labrant Dennis stayed on Florida’s death row list till 2018. Although Dennis did not plead guilty, the jury convicted him on account of two first-degree murders.

In 2020, the Florida Supreme Court moved Dennis off of death row. To date, he is serving his sentence in a prison in Florida and can appeal his case once again in court, to plead innocent.

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What are your thoughts on this murder case? Do you think Labrant Dennis can escape prison decades after committing these heinous crimes? Let us know in the comments below.