James Phillip Barnes, the Florida deἀth row inmate who was executed on Thursday (3 August) for the brutal 1988 murder of a nurse he viciously attacked with a hammer, made the unusual decision to decline a customary last meal in the hours leading up to his deἀth, according to state corrections officials.
The Florida Department of Corrections informed that Barnes opted out of requesting a final meal. State regulations permit inmates to select a last meal, which is sourced locally and must not exceed $40 in cost.
At 6:31 p.m. local time, within the confines of Florida State Prison in Starke, the 61-year-old Barnes was put to deἀth by lethal injection. This marked the fifth execution carried out in Florida during the current year.
Prior to this execution, Barnes was serving a life sentence for the 1997 strangulation of his wife, Linda Barnes. However, in 2005, he wrote to a state prosecutor, confessing to the murder of Patricia “Patsy” Miller. Miller, a nurse residing in a Melbourne, Florida condominium, had experienced troubling interactions with Barnes before her tragic demise.
Do you know that on Thursday (3 August), tragedy hit the quiet hamlet of Irvine when an unidentified adult guy was kἰlled by a tragic sh00ting? The pursuit of the perpetrators continues, as the suspects responsible for the crime remain at large:
During an interview conducted by German film director Werner Herzog within the confines of the jail, Barnes disclosed, “There were several events that happened (with Miller). I felt terribly humiliated, that’s all I can say.”
The harrowing incident involving Miller unfolded on April 20, 1988. Barnes admitted in court to raping her on two occasions, striking her in the head with a hammer, and then setting her bed on fire.
Barnes later proceeded to murder his wife in 1997, after she discovered his involvement in drug dealing. The lifeless body of Linda Barnes was discovered concealed within a closet, a grim testament to her being strangled. Court records bear witness to these horrifying events.
It is worth noting that Barnes has claimed responsibility for the deἀths of at least two additional individuals; however, legal charges were never filed against him in connection with these cases. In a candid interview conducted from jail, Barnes revealed that he had converted to Islam and expressed his desire to alleviate his conscience regarding the Miller case during the sacred month of Ramadan.
Contrary to allegations of his lacking remorse, Barnes proclaimed, “They say I’m remorseless. I’m not. There are no more questions on this case. And I’m going to be executed.”