Day four of the Phylicia Barnes Murder Trial began on a more peaceful note, as Baltimore Sun crime report Justin Fenton tweeted that Russell Barnes (biological father) and Raheem Mustafa (Phylicia’s real dad) set side by side in court. The site was nothing short of the appearance of an olive branch having been offered between the pair after Circuit Court judge Alfred Nance had scolded them a day earlier. Before day three of the trial began Nance could be overheard from the bench saying. “this is about Phylicia, this is about Phylicia. If I hear it again I’ll throw both of you in jail”, after he summoned the men to the bench. The men both stormed out of the court room after the judge’s stern warning. There had been no indication made public as to what the concern was between the slain teen’ fathers, but TPC has learned that Russell Barnes allegedly threatened the child’s stepdad in the hallway of the court house resulting in a heated exchange between them. Today’s scene in cort depicting both men seated together offered hope that the riff between the pretty little girl’s families may finally beginning to subside in a joint effort to collectively seek justice for their precious little girl. The state’s first witness Wednesday was assistant state medical examiner Pamela E. Southall, who detailed how she reached the conclusion that Phylicia Barnes was asphyxiated and that the manner of death was homicide. Southall said an examination of the body didn’t reveal any sort of trauma, and that asphyxiation was essentially the default finding. Asphyxiation encompasses a few types of death – including suffocation, strangulation, drowning, and compression. Southall said she couldn’t be sure which of those Phylicia died from. To make the finding of homicide, Southall said she relied heavily on police investigators and their theories of the case. “The suspicious nature could not be overlooked,”and “You can’t ignore that she’s 16 years old, visiting from out of state who simply ups and disappears.” Defense attorney Russell Neverdon countered byasking Southall why she ruled it a homicide when the lack of evidence opened up other possibilities, such as Phylicia drowning due to her own actions. “Is it possible to suppose she was alive at the time her body came into contact with the water?” Neverdon asked. Southall said “I can’t rule that out.” She noted that 13 people in the state medical examiner’s office, including chief medical examiner David Fowler, agreed on her findings. The examiner’s testimony gives insight on the fact determinations on how some murder victims were actually killed isn’t solely centered around science. Some common sense has to come into play, and that’s apparently what they utilized to come to their conclusions in the Barnes teen autopsy. Assistant State’s Attorney Tonya LaPolla also put forward a theory that Phylicia was put into the water  inside a plastic container, allowing the body to be preserved for a time. Phylicia’s body was only moderately decomposed despite her having been dead for three to four months, in the estimation of a forensic anthropologist who testified later. Southall testified that that was possible, saying that she would have expected more damage to the body had it been loose in the water for so long. That information is critical to the state’s case because it has always been their position that Michael Johnson transported the teen’s body out of the apartment in a plastic container. The lack of video footage from surveillance cameras around the apartment complex and in the immediate area, showing Barnes leaving, helped police theorize how she vanished without detection. The state later called one of their key witnesses to the stand. A 36-year-old man name James McCray began his testimony by saying his name was actually Jason Lee and that he had drifted to Baltimore six years ago from New York,  and rann an under-the-table business helping unqualified drivers get tags and titles. McCray told jurors the defendant, Michael Maurice Johnson, called him for help disposing of a dead body. “You won’t believe what happened,” he said Johnson told him as they stood over Phylicia’s body wrapped in a bedsheet. Defense attorney Russell Neverdon denounced McCray as a “jailhouse snitch and someone who “couldn’t tell Michael Johnson from Michael Jordan. Neverdon spent little time cross-examining McCray, shouting “no more questions” after McCray incorrectly testified that the killing took place before Christmas. Although McCray made an error in establishing the actually date his alleged encounter with Johnson showing him her dead body, his version is compelling. McCray told the court that he had nothing to gain from testifying. He didn’t come forward with information about Phylicia’s death until June 2012, when he said he was overcome by guilt while reading the Bible in jail. Johnson had been indicted and charged in Phylicia’s death two months earlier, though McCray said he was not aware of that. “I was feeling kinda bad about having information with respect to the young child’s murder, and not doing what I can to help out,” According to McCray, he had connected with Johnson a few times through his underground business but stressed that he did not know him. He also said he had met Phylicia, who visited Baltimore only a handful of times, and said she stuck in his head because she had remembered him, calling him by the nickname of “New York.” He said Johnson called him one day, explaining he had a “serious matter” and giving McCray directions to his apartment. Johnson took him into a bedroom, where McCray said it looked as if there had been a struggle. He said Johnson explained that “the girl had been giving him mixed signals about what direction they were going” and that Johnson forced himself on her. McCray told the court, “After that, she wouldn’t stop crying. He couldn’t get her to stop crying, so he killed her. He said he choked her.” McCray’s account coincides with the state medical examiner’s conclusion that Phylicia Barnes had been asphyxiated, and also supports police investigators theory that Barnes was killed at her half-siblings northwest Baltimore apartment. McCray said he declined Johnson’s request to help him move the body but offered him advice based on a similar experience with someone else he knew. He said he told Johnson to turn off his phone so that his GPS data wouldn’t track his movements, and said that Johnson shouldn’t bury the body but toss it into water so that evidence showing he had sex with the teen would be destroyed. McCray’s comments on that line of questioning maybe the pivotal moment in the case, because prosecutors had questioned the defendants older brother Glen Johnson previously during the trial, asking him if he remembered looking for GPS data information about cellphones on the computer the day after Barnes disappeared. The testimony is powerful with the state’s ability to prove that Johnson family members may have been attempting to cover their tracks long before investigators even began looking at the Barnes case as a homicide. Additionally, McCray’s account alleging he told Johnson to turn off his phone may close the gape the state faces, in which they are unable to show how Johnson got the teen’s body to the Susquehanna River. Johnson may have more than likely turned off his cellphone or left it at home while transporting the body. McCray’s advice may also have determined how Johnson decided to dispose of the teen’s body. State medical examiners say they agree with the state’s notion that Barnes was discarded in water inside some kind of container. To reiterate previous testimony from officials at the medical examiners office, testimony was given that they were surprised about the lack of decomposition the teen’s body displayed, and that they would have expected more decay if the body had been completely floating in water for a four month period. On cross-examination, Neverdon asked McCray if he had any mental conditions or had been held in a psychiatric facility, and he said no. It’s not clear whether the defense was attempting to establish McCray had a  psychiatric history or simply questioning his competence, but his testimony was convincing, and supports medical examiners findings as well as the police investigators theories regarding what happened to Phylicia Barnes. I am personally convinced that McCray is telling the truth, because during an interview with Phylicia’s mother over a year ago, she told me she believed Michael Johnson pounced on her daughter while she was alone, may have raped her, and her daughter probably told Johnson “I’m going to tell my mommie, and she is going to kill you”, causing Johnson to panic, killing the pretty child to stop her from revealing that he had raped her. Ironicly, McCray’s account is exactly what the child’s mom believes actually happened. Defense attorney Neverdon questioned the logic behind the state’s official conclusion on how Barnes actually died, saying that it was only a theory and that the evidence suggested a range of possibilities, including that Phylicia could have drowned because of her own actions. But medical examiner Southall also said that the “moderate” decomposition of the body bolstered prosecutors’ theory that it was dumped into the water while inside a plastic tub, possibly helping to preserve the body for a time. “If not contained, you would expect more injury,” she said. Moreover, while the state and defense argue and debate whether Barnes was actually place in the Susquehanna River inside some kind of plastic tub, it has already been proven that Johnson purchased a large plastic tub at a local Wal-Mart on the exact day Barnes disappeared. The defense knew that this was part of the 17,000 page discover evidence the state had filed in the case, and they have been attempting to create doubt about eyewitness accounts that depict Michael Johnson struggling carrying a large plastic tub in the hallway around the time he says he last saw Phylicia, citing the two witnesses description of the tubs size differ. In reality, the store surveillance tape shows Johnson purchasing a plastic tub, but it’s the wrong size, and smaller than the one he may have used to transport the child’s body. This maybe why the witnesses accounts differ on the size of the tub. This theory also supports James McCray’s account as well, because Johnson probably purchased the container to replace the one he had taken from Deena’s apartment, making certain he didn’t leave any DNA evidence behind, as McCray testified he had warned Johnson about, and may demonstrate why the plastic tub has never been found. Day five of the Phylica Barnes Murder Trial continues tomorrow. Still waiting on Justice for Simone.

Sources:

Baltimore Sun (Justin Fenton)

The People’s Champion

I’m David Adams

I have the transcript from the “Peas In Their Pods” interview with Deena, Kelly, and Bryan Barnes as they talked about the disappearance of their kid sister Phylicia Barnes on a Internet Radio Broadcast about Missing Children. I have it, and part of the transcript from that broadcast is right here:

Jan DB, you can answer this or not. There has been reports on the news that you had said that PB was drinking alcohol and smoking pot the night before. Is that true or can you say?

DB That is not true.
Peas Thank you for clearing that up. That is something a lot of people have heard and believe. so your account is she was in yoru home and that is not what she was doing.

(Minute 27)
DB Right.
Jan Thank you DB.
DB I have actually, because of those accusations, I have requested that I be given a drug test. I have taken it, and we are awaiting the results, but I am positive that I passed it. The results aren’t back yet though.
Peas That’s on record. You did not observe those types of behavior, nor did you engage in them. That’s on the record. Moving on from that…

I was certain that I hadn’t misinterpret the discussion on “Peas” that night, but today in open court Deena Barnes ghost revealed themselves to the world as she testified that she had in fact given her baby sister alcohol and marijuana one night in June of 2010, after months of denying, lying, and being deceitful regarding the activities occurring at her home while Phylicia was there. Phylicia Barnes’ mother Janice Mustafa told TPC in a previous interview that she confronted Deena about these allegations after a close friend of her daughter revealed to her that Phylicia had been allowed to drink vodka, and smoke pot while visiting Baltimore. There were so many people who attacked the grieving mom, called her crazy, and even said some horrible things about her on social media. When prosecutors called deena Barnes as their only witness on day two of the trial, revelations of the alcohol and marijuana rumors were proven to have been true, while Deena Barnes wiped away tears at times in court today. Deena told the court that Phylicia Simone Barnes was a beautiful person, bubbly, funny, smart, loving and caring.” Despite their 11-year age difference, she described Phylicia as “my best friend.” State Attorney Lisa Goldberg hammered Deena Barnes regarding the sex tape (which is actually turning out to be nothing more that kissing and naked touching between the individuals captured on the recording) when the sex tape was played for the jurors, which was  a 16-minute video they said depicted Deena Barnes and Johnson, along with Phylicia and Johnson’s younger brother Glenton Michael Johnson (not Dylane Davis as previously reported) kissing and “nakedly” touching after leaving a June 2010 party on a dare that they go streaking together. Deena Barnes dabbed her eyes with a tissue, acknowledging that her teenage sister, on that night and others, became intoxicated, smoked marijuana and spent the night in the same room with boys. As Deena described these events I couldn’t image what was going through Janice Mustafa’ mind, because she has continuously publicly stated that she had a lengthy discussion with Deena regarding her expectations of supervision while Phylicia was in Baltimore. Attorney Goldberg asked Deena “what were you thinking at the time?” “I wasn’t,” said Barnes, as her voice lowered and a swoop of hair covered her right eye. Deena also testified that on the night of the party which included 7-8 people, Johnson made a dare for someone to go streaking, and young Phylicia took him up on it. They all ran to a local school playground and stripped nude. Deena Barnes testified that it was her phone that the sex tape was recorded on. Deena went on to describe a game called “joinking” that they would play, in which Deena and the defendant Michael Johnson would grab each other’s private parts. Deena said the phone the video was recorded on belonged to her, and that she and Phylicia were both drunk. While they all ran around nude Johnson is depicted in the tape kissing and fondling Deena, but prosecutors allege that Johnson was watching Deena’ baby sister Phylicia. According to Deena, Phylicia was also seen grabbing the defendant’s penis in the “joinking” game, but this couldn’t be verified because the big screen T.V. was facing the jurors, and turned away from spectators in the court room. However, when the tape was played in court voices could be heard giggling and joking, followed by periods of silence during which kissing noises were audible. At one point, the man filming on Deena Barnes’ cell phone remarks that he’s been “left out,” and Deena Barnes confirms for the court by later testifying that Phylicia is shown on the tape playfully grabbing Johnson’s penis. Much of what Deena testified to today for the most part isn’t that much of a shock to many followers of the case. There was wide spread suspicion from the beginning when the child’s siblings gave an interview on “Peas In Their Pods”. Deena Barnes only confirmed the lies she told many have suspected all along. Deena further testified  that she later saw Phylicia and Michael Johnson together in her apartment’s bathroom, with Johnson tending to the girl’s knee. From the bedroom, Barnes said, she saw Johnson reach for the girl’s genitals. She laughed and pushed his hand away, said Barnes, who testified that she was disturbed by the interaction and confronted Johnson about it. “I asked him, did he just try to touch my sister. He said no,” Barnes testified. She asked him again, then asked Phylicia about it. Deena Barnes said she considered calling their father, but worried that he might forbid his daughters to spend time together. “I was scared,” she testified. “Scared of not being able to see Phylicia anymore. I thought she wouldn’t be able to come around anymore.” The jury is still out in the court of public opinion regarding Deena’s candur about being afraid she wouldn’t see Phylicia again if she had told her dad Russell Barnes. In fact just about everyone who has been following this case more than likely are dumb founded as to why Deena never took more proactive measures to deter Michael Johnson from being able to make a pass at her baby sister ever again. She testified that she actually observed him when he attempted to touch the child’s genitalia, but only questioned him about it. I think it’s safe to say that the average woman around Deena’s age if presented with a similar situation probably would have put Michael out, ended their relationship on the spot, and just may have called the cops considering Phylicia was a minor. Deena admitted that her relationship with Johnson, who was her live-in boyfriend, and whom she had been dating for 10 years was troubled. She testified that her relationship with him was effectively over by 2010, even though they continued to live together, and even moved into a new apartment together around June of 2010. Her testimony related to the Johnson relationship has been called under the fire also. There is a perception that Michael never really cared about Deena Barnes, but simply used her. Deena never testified about the cause for her rocky relationship with Michael, but social media has been buzzing the last two years about Michael Johnson sleeping around on Deena, and even fathered a child by a former friend of Deena Barnes, name Tabitha Fickling. It’s been widely believed with the public that Deena Barnes was nothing more than a jump off for Michael, and many of the antics going on at her place like the alcohol and drug fueled parties, running around “joinking”, and the nude streaking was a desperate effort on her part to gain Michael Johnson’s favor. This perception is simply a matter of public opinion, but why else would Deena tolerate her live-in boyfriend to come on to her kid sister and permit him to continue to come around the apartment? Johnson’s history of disloyalty to Deena Barnes should have culminated once she learned that he fooled around on her and fathered a child with her friend. It’s simply not convincing that the last straw was when he tried to come on to Phylicia. Deena testified that streaking incident occurred around June 13, 2010, but later said she and Johnson moved to a new apartment in late June, creating an obvious conflict which disputes she had finally had it with Michael Johnson. Parts of her testimony are inconsistent, but she went on to tell the court that after the trip during which the video was filmed, Phylicia returned to Baltimore just weeks later around the Fourth of July. She had ditched a college visit in southern Virginia, saying falsely that her mother had given her approval. Phylicia and Deena got tattoos on their legs; Deena Barnes’ was a honey drop. Phylicia got a rose tattoo which later would be important in identifying her decomposing body. Phylicia returned again during Christmas break. Johnson no longer lived in the apartment after Barnes asked him to move out, creating another conflict, because the day Johnson allegedly last saw the teen Michael was suppose to be moving from the apartment, and clearly demonstrating that he hadn’t actually moved. Barnes testified that on Dec. 28, 2010, Michael Johnson sent her a text message asking if they could get back together. “It’s not too late to work things out,” it read. Barnes said she did not respond.

Barnes laid out the following sequence of events for the rest of the day:

•She left for work in the morning, with Johnson’s younger brother Dylane Davis asleep in her bed with Phylicia. Davis testified last week that Johnson showed up at the apartment and took him back to his house because Davis didn’t have their parents’ permission to be there.

•Barnes texted Phylicia from work, the last message coming at 12:23 p.m., when they talked about getting Phylicia’s hair done. Around the same time, Barnes was on the phone with Johnson. At 12:30 p.m., a message posted to Phylicia’s Facebook page said she was hungry.

•Later, Johnson told Barnes that “little sis” had awoken and asked if Dylane could come back over. Davis testified last week that he returned to an empty apartment around 1 or 2 p.m.. Loud music was playing, something the group did to ward off intruders if someone without a key was going to leave the door unlocked behind them.

•In the afternoon, Barnes tried to call Johnson, whose phone was off, and got his voice mail. He later texted that his phone died and that Phylicia had fallen asleep again. “LOL,” the message reads.

•At 3:30 p.m., he phoned Barnes — in a call she described as “random” — and said he didn’t feel like going to work that day. Johnson was to have worked a 3-to-11-p.m. shift.

•Sometime around 5 p.m., he texted Barnes that “sis is up and active.”

When Barnes returned home from work around 6 p.m., Phylicia was gone, so she called several people, including Johnson. He didn’t pick up, but text that his phone was dying and that he was busy moving things. She asked him when he last saw Phylicia, and he eventually responded around 8 p.m., saying that he saw her at 1:30 p.m. “Is everything OK?” he asked. When Barnes said she was going to call police, he replied, “Keep me informed.”

This is where everything got very cloudy with rumors of Phylicia having gone to get food, an aspect of the case I’m sure will be go over with more extensive detail once the defense began to call witnesses. On cross examination the defense tried to create reasonable doubt by inferring that Deena herself may have had some issues with Phylicia, and possibly regarding her interaction with Michael.  Defense Attorney Bates said Barnes called the police before conducting her own search, didn’t check Phylicia’s Facebook page, and delayed telling Phylicia’s mother what was happening. Johnson didn’t help with further search efforts, though he was instructed to stay away because emotions were running high, according to testimony. The defense challenged Deena Barnes’ story, questioning her actions after realizing her sister was missing and raising doubts about whether she had a reason to be upset with Phylicia. Bates noted that Barnes told police investigators that Johnson was never violent during their relationship, and that she had never had any qualms about Phylicia being around him. They also sought to paint Phylicia not as an innocent teenager who wouldn’t have left her sister’s apartment on her own, but as a rebellious girl who was allowed to act as an adult when in Baltimore and who befriended strangers on social media in an obvious attempt by the defense to introduce reasonable doubt that Phylicia Barnes may have wondered off with friends she met on line and subsequently was murdered by someone else, not Michael Johnson. This tragic story continues as we the quest for justice in the Phylicia Simone Barnes murder case heads toward day 3. We are still praying for this precious child and her family.

Sources:

Baltimore Sun

Justin Fenton on Twitter

Joy Lepola Stewart of Fox 45

The Peoples Champion

I’m David Adams

Great strides were made during the first day in the murder trial of Michael Johnson with the state piece by piece beginning to mount very compelling circumstantial evidence against him to prove to a jury that he in fact killed honors teen Phylicia Barnes. After opening arguments, the state called Kelly Barnes to the stand, and questioned her regarding Phylicia’s activities and where she was staying while she was in Baltimore. Kelly told the court that upon the teen’s arrival, she initially stayed with her and went to work with her, but on subsequent trips, she stayed with Deena, who lived with Michael Johnson and one of Johnson’s cousins (William Johnson). When asked why Phylicia started staying with Deena, Kelly said, “My house might be boring.” Kelly was supposed to pick up Phylicia on the day she vanished, but wasn’t able to reach her while on her way to the apartment and went home. Later, when they realized Phylicia was missing, she said a number of people went to Deena’s apartment. Michael Johnson was among them, and Kelly testified that he sat on the couch and interacted little with the others. “We were going over texts and who called and what she said,” Kelly testified. Then “we sat up and waited, hoping she would come through the door.” Although Kelly offered this rationalization why she didn’t pick up Phylicia as planned that day, many people within the public are still very disturbed that she never just went by the apartment. More importantly, why the fact she couldn’t reach Phylicia by text or cellphone didn’t raise a red flag for her. The prosecution called Bryan Barnes to the stand and during the defense cross examination, defense attorneys questioned him about an interview he, Deena Barnes and Kelly Barnes conducted with an internet radio show about missing children. Attorney Tony Garcia raised questions about why Deena did not consent to answer questions, and asked Bryan Barnes whether Deena had stormed out on multiple occasions. Bryan said she had left multiple times, but did not know why. There hasn’t been any indication whether the “Peas” broadcast would be a part of the evidence presented to the jury in this case, but the fact the show was brought up in court does reveal the controversial interview that the Barnes siblings gave “Peas In Their Pods” has been given some weight at least by the defense toward the potential outcome of the case. During that show’s broadcast when the host opened the telephone lines for questioning from the public, Deena mysteriously exited the show, and created suspicion among listeners who believed she had something to hide regarding the disappearance of her kid sister. It’s uncertain if her departure from the talk show was the result of some directive from police or legal counsel, but Bryan Barnes admitting that Deena had stormed out on several occasions during the broadcast demonstrates that her sudden departure was deliberate and not due to some other pressing obligation. The defense’ mentioning of the “Peas” interview appears to be an attempt to cast suspicion on Deena Barnes, while creating some measure of reasonable doubt that someone other than their client is responsible for the Barnes teen killing, and perhaps Deena has knowledge of who murdered her.  Listen to the entire “Peas In Their Pods” broadcast here:

Kelly and Bryan Barnes also testified that they were unaware that Deena had allowed Phylicia to drink alcohol, an allegation that Deena has continuously publicly denied. Another mystery in the case was also cleared up. four of the five defense attorneys filing their appearance in the case are representing Michael Johnson. TPC had raised questions as to why so many counsels had filed with the court in this case, and suspected that others may be charged along side Johnson. It’s still not known for whom the fifth attorney represents. Many from the public and Janice Mustafa, Phylicia’s mother wanted Deena Barnes charged as well. Prosecutors described Phylicia Barnes as a bright girl who spent lots of time on her cellphone and social media sites, and forged a tight bond with Deena Barnes and another half sister, Kelly. When she first visited Baltimore, Phylicia stayed with Kelly, who lived alone. But on subsequent trips, she began staying with Deena, who lived with Johnson and one of Johnson’s cousins. “Deena Barnes made horrible mistakes in the supervision of her sister,” Goldberg said. “While at times she was very protective, other times she was far too permissive.” After the sexual video was filmed on June 13, 2010, Goldberg said, Johnson began interacting with Phylicia Barnes with increasing frequency. They exchanged 20 text messages during the first two weeks of June and would trade more than 1,300 messages over the next six months, nearly triple the amount of text of 500 previously publicly reported. Goldberg told jurors: “1,300 messages between a 28-year-old man and a 16-year-old girl.” Prosecutors also called Michael Johnson’s baby brother Dylane Davis, who testified he slept in the same bed as Deena and Phylicia the night before the teen went missing, testified he returned to the apartment to find the door unlocked and music blaring, something they did when leaving the apartment unattended and with the door unlocked, to discourage would-be burglars. He also  testified that he thought nothing of it. Dylane is also suspected of being the other juvenile depicted in the sex tape engaging in sexual relations with Phylicia, Michael, and Deena Barnes. Prosecutors also revealed that the day Phylicia went missing Johnson acted erratically that day, not going into work and purchasing a plastic tub from a Walmart that they believe he used to move the body. They say his cellphone wasn’t used in the period during which investigators believe Barnes was killed, and prosecutors said his phone was later traced to a spot near Patapsco Valley State Park which is an area searched extensively at one point by police and volunteers. Early on in the investigation police officials reported that they believed Barnes was being move from various locations. TPC also reported tweets by a member of the Phillyfifth crew (Johnson family members and friends who hang out together) who tweeted “well don’t just leave it there, move the damn thing”, a day after the planned search of Patapsco State for Barnes was broadcast on local news stations. Some believe the tweet was regarding the Barnes teens body from that park. Additionally, the fact Johnson’s cellphone was tracked to that area on the same day Phylicia disappeared is telling and very compelling as well. When we consider the fact that it’s the heart of winter, Johnson was reportedly suppose to be moving out of Deena’s apartment that day, and he goes to a state park its highly suspicious. So, in the first day we learn that the prosecution does have enough to prove culpability of Johnson killing Barnes, though circumstantial, together their argument appears extremely compelling. The sex tape depicting nudity with Johnson and Phylicia, him being captured looking at her in lust while fondling Deena, the ensuing 1300 text between him and the teen, witness accounts of him struggling with a container in the hallway, PGS tracking of his cellphone near a state park the day Phylicia went missing, and an eyewitness who claims to have seen Johnson with the teen’s dead body creates a hell of a summation for Johnson’s defense to overcome. We’ll continue to bring updates as they occur. Justice for our angel Phylicia Barnes.

Sources:

Baltimore Sun

The People’s Champion

I’m David Adams

This morning during open arguments at the Phylicia Barnes Murder trial in Baltimore Circuit Court, the prosecution went straight to work, telling a jury that a petty thief named James McCray told investigators that Johnson called him to the apartment on the day Barnes was killed, showing him her body and asking for advice on what to do. The statement for the most part revealed the state’s strongest piece of evidence that has been made public so far. State Attorney Goldberg told the jury that they are unaware how Michael Johnson transported the pretty teen’s body to the Susquehanna River in Northern Maryland where she was found floating nude, but Johnson’s behavior that day was erratic. On December 28, 2010 the day Barnes disappeared Johnson called out from work, and was seen purchasing a 35 gallon container from a Wal-Mart which prosecutors say he transported the child’s body out of Deena Barnes’ northwest Baltimore apartment. How prosecutors learned about Johnson’s purchase is still unknown, but they plan to also produce two witnesses who say they observed him struggling to carry the tub in the hallway of the building around the time Johnson said he last saw young Phylicia. Goldberg also told jurors that Phylicia’s fate was the direct result of permissiveness by Phylicia Barnes’ older sister (Deena Barnes) who allowed the teen to indulge in drugs and alcohol, leading to a drunken, naked romp with an older man who would culminate in her death six months later. Goldberg added that June 13, 2010 was a turning point for 16-year-old Phylicia Barnes. Phylicia had been to Baltimore to visit Deena Barnes and Michael Johnson on several occasions, who had dated for 10 years. On that night at a party, they went streaking, then went to a neighborhood school and filmed themselves “nakedly touching” each other. Goldberg further said that while touching Deena, Johnson was looking at her younger sister, and in the ensuing months exchanged 1,300 text messages with her. The state’s opening remarks highlights that Johnson had been in contact with the pretty little girl far more frequently then made been revealed to the public. Upon Johnson’s arrest, reports surfaced that Johnson contacted the child 500 times via text messages during the months leading up to her finally visited to Baltimore which ended in her death. The prosecution didn’t expand on details of the alleged sexual relations that Johnson allegedly had with the Barnes youth, but they are scheduled to play the sex tape in open court which police discovered on Deena Barnes’ cellphone during the investigation of her disappearance. There are now 4 confirmed state witnesses who will testify for the state against Michael Johnson. The state has already publicly stated that Deena Barnes will testify when the sex tape is played in court, there are two witnesses who place Johnson the hallway of the building where Barnes was staying struggling to carry a large tub, and James McCray who says Johnson showed him the teen’s dad body.The state only used 13 minutes to give the jury an outline of their case, and at 10:35 a.m. EST the defense argued that the state overreached when they charge Johnson. Defense attorney Russell Neverdon said “this is not about sex, lies and videotape”, referring to the sex tape that had been captured months before Phylica was killed. Neverdon told the jury that none of the text messages Johnson exchanged with the Barnes teen were inappropriate or suggestive. He went on to say that Johnsonwas seen moving things out of the apartment he shared with Deena Barnes, because she had requested him to move out before the end of the year. Deena Barnes had previously stated during a “Peas In Their Pods” Blogtalk Broadcast that the pair had broken up, and they had discussed Johnson moving, and that it had been an ongoing process prior to Phylicia arriving in Baltimore. Neverdon also told the jurors that the witness who prosecutors say Johnson called for advice on moving the body is a “jailhouse snitch” who “can’t tell Michael Johnson from Michael Jordan,” said there was no DNA evidence, and that Barnes’ body showed no sign of injury. None of the attorneys from either side of this case revealed extensive details on how they actually plan to prove their case while cautiously reserving exposing the fundamental aspects of their strategies. However, much has been learned about what the state alleges happened to Phylicia Barnes. TPC will continue to bring updated news about this tragic story as details emerge.

Sources:

Baltimore Sun

The People’s Champion

I’m David Adams

The Baltimore Circuit Court case of Michael Johnson vs. The State of Maryland began continued with a jury of twelve having been seated  in what many say will be one of the most closely watched criminal trials for the city in recent memory. Judge Nance dismissed the jurors early this morning to hear motions from lawyers in the case. The hearing was filled with drama as the defense filed a motion to question the lead investigator in the Barnes murder case during trial, while also requesting that the judge dismiss the prosecution’s case entirely for “the appearance of impropriety” because the state has deliberately held off on charging Police Detective Daniel T. Nicholson IV, who was suspended by the department on April 23, 2012, after two people told police that he forced his way into their apartment while searching for his own 15-year-old daughter, who had run away from home. The defense has previously claimed that false charges against their client were pursued only two days after Nicholson was suspended by the department for alleged misconduct. Prosecutors brought one count of first-degree murder against Michael Maurice Johnson, 28, who had long been considered a suspect when news broke that Nicholson was in fact the lead investigator in the Barnes teen murder case. Nicholson has not been charged but the case is open and he remains suspended. Defense attorney Ivan J. Bates wants to question Nicholson about his honesty related to departmental charges against him. Bates has previously claimed Nicholson has a pattern of violating departmental rules during criminal investigations he has been involved in. When Johnson was arrested early last year, Bates also claimed a Baltimore police officer related to the slain teen showed up when the child was reported missing, and began questioning people who were at Deena Barnes apartment where Phylicia Barnes was staying. The defense’ motions appear to be tactics to sensationalize the trial by creating the appearance of misconduct by police which may sway jurors set to hear the case. Baltimore has a history of juries who render questionable verdicts in criminal cases when the slightest implication of any impropriety what so ever by police, solely predicated on a widespread anti-police sentiment throughout Baltimore City. Judge Nance ruled in the defense’ favor allowing Nicholson to be questioned during the trial, but set limits to what the defense may ask the detective, and ruling that the questions must be submitted prior to direct questioning of the officer on the stand. The questioning of Nicholson appears to be a strong part of the defense’ case who obviously plan to demonstrate the state’s case was built on false charges against Johnson. However, the defense will also have to overcome other culpable evidence against their client. Witnesses are reportedly prepared to testify to observing Johnson struggling with carrying a 35 gallon container in the hallway of the apartment building Barnes was staying in, on the day, and around the time Johnson told police he last saw the teen alive. Prosecutors want to demonstrate in court that a person of Barnes’ size could fit in a container of that volume. The judge has denied their request to have a person get inside a 35 gallon container during trial, but has indicated he may hear further discussion on the issue further along in the trial. Johnson was seen purchasing a 35 gallon container at a local Walmart on the day Barnes disappeared, The defense argued that the container has never been found, and the witnesses accounts contrast on the actual size of the container. The conflict in witnesses account on the container size is simply a matter of semantics as the pair only disputes the actual size, but both place Johnson in the hallway of the day in questioning struggling with a container. The defense also will have to explain why their client may have been attempting to flee the country. Prosecutors have Johnson overheard on telephone conversations stating “what if I move to another country like Brazil where they can’t expedite me to face murder charges”. Much of the potential culpable evidence the state plans to introduce during the trial against Johnson is very circumstantial, but other tangible evidence against him may be extremely damaging to his defense. The sex tape prosecutors have stated they will show during the trial shows Johnson actually having sex with the teen. The tape on it’s face alone is sufficient to charge Johnson with statutory rape because Barnes was a minor, but prosecutors believe that Johnson had a thing for the pretty honors student, and he may have killed her to prohibit Barnes from revealing sexual relations he had with her. Prosecutors publicly revealed that Barnes, Johnson and his younger brother, along with Deena Barnes were depicted in the recording intoxicated, and engaging in sexual relations. The Barnes teen may have been without her full bearing during the sex tape incident and it has not been established whether she appears to be a willing participant. The defense claims the sex tape will aid their client’s case because it refutes claims that Barnes had previously told her older sister Shauntel Sallis that Johnson made her feel uncomfortable. Despite these dramatic elements of the case, it appears the defense is trying to tarnish Barnes image, and the integrity of the lead investigator in the case. Whether their strategy will free Michael Johnson remains to be seen when a Baltimore jury hears the case. Moreover, it’s clear that Deena Barnes is ultimately responsible for what happen to young Phylicia Barnes who was left in her care while visiting her father’s side of the family over the Christmas Holiday back in 2010. Deena has attempted to place full blame on Michael Johnson for her younger half-sibling’s killing, while continuously lying in the media regarding the extent of what was actually going on at her northwest Baltimore apartment. Deena’s actions primarily after her sister disappeared has angered the public. The sex tape was disturbing alone, but once reports were made public that Deena was depicted having sex also, her credibility was destroyed, and many supporters turned against her because she knew all along what cops had discovered from video on her cellphone.  Deena Barnes testimony during the trial of her kid sister’s murder will probably prove to be the most dramatic aspect of this entire senseless ordeal. The public also awaits if she will face any criminal charges as well. We continue to pray for justice for Phylicia and the entire Mustafa family.

Sources:

Baltimore Sun

The People’s Champion

I’m David Adams

The trial of Michael Maurice Johnson began in Baltimore Circuit Court today, as jury selection and other proceedings began. Judge Alfred Nance began court by issuing a Media Restriction Order outlining the dos and don’ts for the trial.  The judge’s order mirrors standard restrictions for courtroom etiquette with some adjustments tailored  around sensitive information that will probably be introduced into evidence during the trial. Chiefly, judge Nance restricted the courtroom to media, family of the victim, and family of the accused. The order more than likely was given to minimize the audience for a sex tape prosecutors plan to play during the trial, depicting the Barnes teen engaging in sexual acts with the accused and his younger brother, along with her older half-sibling Deena Barnes. The Restriction Order is listed here in its entirety:

1. The trial in the above captioned case is scheduled to be conducted in Part 22, Courtroom 556, Courthouse East, 111 N. Calvert St, Baltimore, Maryland 21202, Judge Alfred Nance presiding.

2. All persons entering the either courthouse of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City must pass through electronic security devices and submit their equipment to search at the discretion of the sheriff’s department. Members of the media are required to refrain from bringing excess bags or backpacks into the courthouse.

3. No audio or visual recording equipment, press cameras or recording or transmitting equipment shall be permitted in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, except otherwise provided in this order. No tape recorders shall be permitted in the courtroom at any time.

4. Limited pool video or still photographs will not be permitted, unless otherwise directed by the court.

5. From 9 a.m. – 9:25 a.m., before the court begins each day, trial exhibits will be made available to the media for the purpose of this order, unless otherwise ordered by the court. The exhibits shall be available, one time, for the purpose of access by members of the media.

6. Photographs or photocopies of exhibits shall not be allowed.

7. No “live” television, telephone, radio or other broadcast of exhibits shall be permitted during the viewing of exhibits.

8. The courtroom clerk assigned to Part 22 for these proceedings shall serve as coordinator of the viewing of trial exhibits and as custodian of same.

9. Certain trial exhibits shall be handled by court-approved technicians or specialists only.

10. The sheriff shall be present and will remain during the viewing of all exhibits.

11. Members of the media shall not use cellular, text messages, and/or any electronic device within 100 feet of courtroom 556 during the course of these proceedings. No cellular phones containing cameras shall be permitted in the courtroom.

12. Only those members of the media with proper press identification shall be permitted in Part 22, Courtroom 556E during these proceedings. There will be limited reserved seating for the media in the courtroom.

13. The deputy sheriff’s shall monitor the courtroom at all times and they are authorized to remove anyone who violates this security order, media protocol or at the instruction of the court.

14. Counsel for the parties shall be allowed to be present for any activity permitted by this order.

15. The deputy sheriff assigned to Part 22, courtroom 556 for these proceedings, shall establish limited reserved seating in the courtroom for authorized media, members of the victim’s family, and members of the defendant’s families.

16. No one shall be permitted to enter Part 22, Courtroom 556E or remain therein during those proceedings who is wearing any item on his or her person exhibiting any sign which, in the opinion of the court, may tend to influence any juror or affect the orderly administration of these proceedings.

17. No food or drink is permitted in the courtroom.

18. Smoking is not allowed anywhere in the courthouse of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City

19. Under no circumstances are members of the media permitted to contact, photograph or interview jurors during the course of these proceedings.

20. Members of the media shall not photograph vehicles transporting jurors when entering, leaving or standing in or about the areas of Courthouse East of Circuit Court of Baltimore City.

21. The deputy sheriff shall escort members of the jury from the courthouse at the conclusion of trial each day and shall provide the jurors with information on available downtown escort services beyond the courthouse.

22. No court personnel or court-approved specialist shall be recorded, photographed or otherwise depicted in conjunction with the trial exhibits.

23. Members of the Circuit Court staff shall be interviewed regarding these cases.

24. Media conferences of interviews shall not be permitted in Courthouse East.

25. If members of the media believe any aspect of the order is unworkable or inappropriate, they may request modification only if such request is made in sufficient time in advance of the court matter to permit the court to review the proposed modification.

26. Violations of this order will subject the violator to a revocation of all media privileges, and subject to but not limited to the contempt powers of the court.

27. This media protocol order is subject to modification by the trial judge and/or administrative judge of this court at any time. -Judge Alfred Nance

The judge also heard discussion regarding a motion prosecutors made requesting to demonstrate how a person the same size as Barnes could fit inside a plastic container that witnesses say they saw Michael Johnson struggling with in the hallway of the building where Barnes was staying on the day she disappeared. The defense objected to the motion, citing the alleged container has never been found, and the two witnesses stories regarding the actual size are contrasting. Judge Nance declined prosecution’s motion to allow a person they had in court to demonstrate how Barnes could have fit inside the container. Nance agreed to hear further discussion on the issue some time later during the trial. The court was closed to the public during jury selection which court officials anticipate will go on for about two days. Sources on the ground in Baltimore say there was no indication if Johnson was actually in court for today’s proceedings, but the long awaited trial to determine if Michael Johnson in fact killed young Phylicia Barnes is now underway. Many from the public have stated they plan to attend the trial in support of the little girl’s family, but those hopes were dashed with the judge minimizing the trial’s audience to family and media. It appears that the public will now have to rely on media accounts of what young Phylicia Barnes’ state of mind was during the time the sex tape incident occurred. The court took action to protect Barnes and another minor child who are depicted in the sex tape with Michael Johnson and Dena Barnes, who were adults at the time of it’s recording. The public had been concerned that the Barnes teen was probably drugged and taken advantage of by the adults who were there that night. Media had reported earlier on during the investigation process that a tape existed only showing Barnes and others streaking nude inside and outside of Deena Barnes’ northwest Baltimore apartment. In recent weeks prosecutors filed a motion requesting the courtroom be closed during the airing of a tape showing that the defendant Michael Johnson also had sex with the child on tape. The prosecution stated at that time that they planned to play the tape during the phase of the trial in when Deena Barnes is being questioned. The defense argued that closing the court room would infringe up their client’s sixth amendment rights, causing the judge to rule against the state’s request for a closed courtroom during that part of the trial. However, the state’s sex tape evidence is a bombshell and appears that more than one tape exist depicting the Barnes teen nude with males. the defense has also publicly stated that the tape helps their case because of reports that the Barnes teen told an older sister she felt uncomfortable around Johnson. The defense says the sex tape refutes that notion, but it still remains to be seen what the child’s state of mind was during the 16 minute 31 second sex tape. Prosecutors have already publicly stated that Barnes appeared with others on the tape intoxicated and engaged in sexual relations. If the child appears to be void of her full bearing, the tape will more than likely hinder the defense, and strengthen the state’s case proving that Johnson had a thing for the pretty little girl as they have alleged. Additionally, the defense has other issues they must overcome. Prosecutors intercepted calls with Johnson overheard stating “what if I move to another country like Brazil where I can’t be extradited to face murder charges”. The tape will prove to be extremely damaging for Johnson who also attempted to flee when police tried to serve a warrant for his arrest in the Barnes Killing. We’ll have more details as the trial against Michael Johnson continues. We are all still hoping and praying for justice for pretty little Phylicia Simone Barnes.

The People’s Champion

I’m David Adams

She was a pretty teen with exceptional grades at the Union Academy High School in rural North, Carolina, her smile complimented God given beauty, and her character was radiant while luring most to her affectionate personality. Her parents tells stories of her aspirations in life, her diligence in being self sufficient, and ability to simply light up any room in social settings. To Janice and Raheem Mustafa  she was simply their child whom they loved dearly. Now she is known all over the world as a child who was snatched from society without cause, without warning, and without any rationale what so ever. The story of the late Phylicia Simone Barnes has touched hearts of many within society who share the burden of grief along with her parents, attempting to make sense of how tragedy could cause the demise of such a promising child. It’s been over two years since Phylicia disappeared and a constant public outcry has followed ever since, seeking answers, and wondering who could have committed such a horrible crime. The pursuit of justice in the child’s killing has always been the focus from the public, her family, and friends who intimately knew Phylicia Barnes. Yet, the path to justice has come at a price for the Mustafa family who senselessly lost their beautiful daughter at the hands of monsters who exploited, manipulated, and abused her innocence for what appears to be for nothing more than lust of their own perversion and sick sexual desires. The task of maintaining civility, strength, and sanity is undoubtedly an enormous chore for any parent who loses a child in the fashion Phylicia was taken from the Mustafas, and their endurance has demonstrated courage, faith, and example to us all. Despite their grief, the family encountered hostility from an assuming public in which some chastised the child’s mother for allowing her to travel to Baltimore to fellowship with her biological father’s side of the family. Janice Mustafa admitted she wanted her promising daughter to be well rounded to avoid potential emotional and psychological deficiencies latter on in life. The criticism that followed Phylicia’s disappearance caused Janice to share intimate details about her life with humility for the sole purpose of  drawing attention to the child’s father and his family. Some people shared their empathy toward the Mustafa family, and believed that Janice was simply doing what she had to do for her baby. That couldn’t possibly be more truthful. No one following this story can deny the fact they were warned about the Baltimore Barnes family, as well as the disturbing details that have emerged outlining the environment her daughter’s half-siblings exposed her to. Attackers even sought out Janice in social media to spew hate and other insensitivities despite the mother having recently lost her child. However, Phylicia’s real father refused to allow his wife to endure further grief from media and the public, and withdrew his family to resolve their healing in privacy. During that time the Mustafas continued dialogue with me here at TPC and shared their thoughts. I am truly grateful for that privilege and honored for the trust they have bestowed upon me regarding articles I have published related to the murder of their daughter. Janice and Raheem Mustafa are extremely proud and educated people who’s family are simply the victims of a senseless crime. Raheem Mustafa advised that Janice Mustafa only wanted to talk to me regarding Phylicia’s story, because she felt I would only write what she said to me, and I have made every effort to convey her thoughts and perspective as accurately as I could. In fact, it has been my intent from the onset of this horrific case to aid in determining what actually happened to Phylicia Barnes. I was moved by her story upon learning of her disappearance in my hometown of Baltimore city. As a native Baltimorean I can relate first hand to the challenges and horrors most teens face while trying to navigate the mean streets in an extremely violent city. Janice has always been clear that she made efforts to establish her strict guidelines for Phylicia’s supervision while in Baltimore, and those trusted with the child’s care have made efforts of their own to discredit Janice on these aspects of the case. When news media failed to accurately publish what her statements were, she refused to indulge them, and resulting in her terminating further interviews with major news agencies. I have tried to use The People’s Champion Blog as a vehicle to aid in developing information from the public regarding the killing of one of our young people, and my efforts have also come at a price as well. I am a man who walks without fear solely because I know God walks at my side. Threats of violence and other scare tactics could never intimidate me, nor would I ever flinch at the mere inference of such, and I go on unmoved by the tyranny of violent criminals who hold cities like Baltimore hostage through their ungodly deeds. It’s unfortunate for the Mustafa family that such a crime has impacted their family, but in reality this tragedy could have happened to any family, and we all should react in a similar fashion to seek justice despite whose child has fallen. I am simply grateful to have been afforded resources to aid in the process of helping to heal the pain and burden of others. We should all thank the Mustafa family for their strength, courage, and for sharing their precious daughter’s story with us all. The trial of Michael Johnson begins tomorrow in the Circuit Court of Baltimore, and we are praying that justice prevails for Phylicia and the entire Mustafa family. I remain hopeful in the solving of this crime and my heart goes out to the little girls parents. On behalf of the hundreds of readers who follow TPC on a daily basis, I say thank you to Janice and Raheem Mustafa and pray that God is with you throughout this trial.

The People’s Champion

I’m David Adams

The story about a little girl who disappeared and made national news headlines maybe be finally coming to a culmination, as Maryland State Prosecutors have the painstaking task of proving Michael Johnson murdered the pretty honors student from Monoroe, North Carolina in Baltimore over two years ago. The Phylicia Simone Barnes case captivated our nation when the studios kid simply vanished while visiting her biological fathers side of the family. The case began as a complete puzzle with police authorities calling her disappearance “one of the most complexing missing person cases for the city in recent memory.” Cops began looking for the little girl based on information provided by those who were around her. Many of the initial leads police received during their hunt for the child were unfounded, and led many to ponder whether the police were deliberately being misled. While searches were being conducted in the Baltimore area, the Barnes teen’ body was floating in the chilly waters of the Susquehanna River in Northern Maryland. Disturbing new developments in the case continue to spark outrage with details of the case against Johnson now having been made public. Recent reports indicating that the Barnes teen was captured in a cellphone video recording intoxicated and engaging in sexual relations with Johnson, his younger brother, and the child’s own half-sibling Deena Barnes. No indication that others will in fact be charged also in the Barnes killing have been made public, but concerns have escalated pertaining to what the child’s family may have told cops from the onset of her missing person report. It was widely publicized in the media that young Phylicia had vanished while going to a local business to get something to eat near the Northwest Baltimore apartment where she had been staying with her half-siblings. Anonymous tips were also given to the cops about potential locations where the child might in fact be held against her will. Tip after tip came in to authorities, but none of these leads resulted in locating Barnes. It wasn’t until months later that the child’s nude body was discovered floating in a river 30 miles away. The information that cops received early on in the investigation may have delayed police’ ability to potentially locate Barnes. No one appeared to know what happen to her, and now that it has been determined adults in fact had been engaging in sex with the child it’ opens legitimate discussions that the police were deliberately misled to conceal horrible details of  an alleged  potential sexual assault that has now been made public. There was a perception within the public from the very start when young Phylicia went missing that accounts by her older female half-siblings didn’t quite add up. The “Peas In Their Pods” interview is now extremely telling as we look back and re-examine that interview. The siblings claim they both lost contact with Phylicia in the late morning hours of December 28, 2010. They both also claim that it was Johnson who advised them that Phylica was on the sofa asleep. That report was accepted by the women despite Kelly Barnes’ supposedly scheduled to pick her kid sister up for a hair appointment, and shopping for beauty supplies. The fact that Kelly never picked Phylicia up as planned that day heightens suspicion from the public that the women may have already known the child was deceased. Perhaps the most telling aspect of their claims is neither of them went by the apartment to physically check on Phylicia until 6:00 p.m. that day. Deena Barnes alleges she called around speaking with family and friends in an effort to locate the child, but was unsuccessful. She then contacts her father (Phylicia’s biological father) Russell Barnes who lives in Atlanta, Georgia to alert him of Phylicia’s disappearance. Deena never notified Janice Mustafa that her daughter was missing.In fact Janice called Deena after getting a “sickening feeling” in her stomach. Russell Barnes notified his half-brother who is a Baltimore City police officer, subsequently the official report was noted that Barnes went to get something to eat, and in complete contrast to various other accounts that were made by the female siblings during the “Peas” interview. The women sad that Phylicia was asleep on the sofa, Deena Barnes later stated that Johnson told her the child was up and active, and one account even said Phylicia had fallen asleep on Johnson. The later account was probed by “Peas” host Gutane Borders who specifically asked if Phylicia had fallen asleep on top of Johnson, and Deena Barnes sternly denied such an account. However, we are now aware that Deena, Michael Johnson, and Johnson’s younger brother engaged in sexual relations with the child. Deena clearly gave an untruthful response of Johnson’s relationship with her younger sibling, because she in fact knew Johnson had sex with the child while it was recorded. Russell was the person who created the account Phylicia had gone to get something to eat. Russell Barnes also was the person who told Michael Johnson to get lost before police arrived. These relevant  and inconsistent factors in this case are the focal point that many believe the child’s father side of the family may have conspired to conceal what actually happened to young Phylicia Barnes. Additionally, the presence of Russell’s brother, whether in an official capacity or not, tends to indicate he also may have helped establish the bogus story about Phylicia going to get food as credible information. The officer should have never gone by the apartment and began questioning people, because the child was a relative, and creates a stigmatization and conflict of interest. A more appropriate reaction upon obtaining the call from Russell would have been to advised Russell to call police, have him notify him when police were at the scene, and he could have come over in an observer capacity to support his family. The officer’s actions creates a discovery issue pertaining to the case if any of the information gathered during that initial phase of the investigation was obtained by Russell’s brother, and could very well be ruled as inadmissible during the trial. Information given to police with Russell’s brother present delayed the investigation allowing for critical time to elapse that may have resulted in discovering the teen’s whereabouts if accurate information had been given to police. It’s clear people associated with the case who were either there or hang out at the apartment, deliberately gave deceptive information regarding the physical well being of Phylicia Barnes. The established orgy, party, and drug usage like atmosphere is extremely compelling, and supports the argument that they may have covered it all up. While Michael Johnson sits in a jail cell at the Baltimore City Detention Center as the person accused of killing this promising child, the public will have to wait and see exactly how thoroughly police investigated the initial phase of this murder case. When the court is called in to order on January 22, 2013 we will all be waiting, watching, and hoping that justice prevails for our pretty little flower named Phylicia Barnes. We are praying for Janice and Raheem Mustafa that closure comes for their family in this horrific case.

The People’s Champion

I’m David Adams

Her family said she was last seen leaving for school around 8:00 a.m. on January 4, 2013, but no one was prepared for the gruesome discovery that NYPD revealed after the aspiring teen writer’s charred body was found nude, burned, and partially covered with sand in a Brooklyn, New York park over the weekend. Officials say that the body of a female discovered by a man walking near the park was in fact the remains of 14-year-old Shaniesha Forbes, a teen who had been reported missing some time on Friday. Police say the body was in close proximity of what appeared to be an extinguished bonfire with beer cans scattered around. The child’s autopsy was found to be inconclusive as no cause of death was determined how she died, and investigators are currently working to determine what killed the child. Police say the teen’s body had no signs of trauma at all. There were no gun shot wounds, stab wounds, or any signs that she may have been strangled.  The child’s death apparently wasn’t caused by the fire because medical examiner reports indicate that the pretty little girl had no smoke in her lungs. The disturbing reports outlining her cause of death as unknown only heightens concerns regarding what happen to Forbes. Shaniesha was on her way to the Academy of Young Writers when she was last seen leaving her East Flashbush home and just simply vanished before her body was discovered. Family and friends say that Shaniesha had bullying issues at her Academy High School. The child was harassed everyday in Science class by peers who constantly picked on the child about her hair. “Everyday in class they would ask her why she wore the same weave over and over again”, one relative said. The little girl also allegedly had a boyfriend which was a troubled relationship. Until authorities determine the little girl’s cause of death, leads which may determine what happened to her will be scarce. The fact that her body was burned and partially covered in sand more than likely points to the child probably having been murdered. Why would someone bury the girl in sand if there wasn’t an attempt to discard or conceal her remains. Also, authorities have indicated that the burns the child suffered were severe, but not life threatening. Clues at the scene include a kerosene container and discarded beer cans. Hopefully these items can produce forensic evidence like DNA or fingerprints that match someone in the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS), and the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) linking someone to the child’s death. The child’s family is completely distraught over Shaniesha’ death, as the little girl is the third daughter of four female girls, and the family is begging for help from the public. Other reports within the media have made it a point to highlight that Shaniesha Forbes had run away from home before according to their unnamed sources. The news accounts from establish media outlets has outraged many from within the public. Some site that such journalism creates a stigmatization that the child’s untimely death is a result of her own rebellion, and lessons the impact such a horrific case has on the public. It’s disturbing that such subtle forms of racial prejudice continue to circulate from mass media as if the lives of our daughters isn’t news worthy, and implying that Shaniesha Forbes was just another runaway. Details surrounding prior family issues if they are even in fact true, has no baring on the heinousness of this potential crime. Someone placed this pretty child’s body in the sand and the main focal point should be determining how this despicable ordeal occurred. The mere thought that some one may have been consuming alcohol during this tragic and senseless incident in some sort of celebratory fashion demonstrates heartless, callous, and cowardice monsters remain at large in the New York area. Society in its entirety should be outraged that a female child died in this fashion, and we all should work diligently to resolve the mystery of this case. There is an epidemic of violence against teen girls and woman in general in our society, and we must work to end such behavior for the sake of the preservation of humanity.

The people’s Champion

I’m David Adams

This morning WBAL Radio in Baltimore reported that a Circuit Court judge has denied the state’s motion to exclude the public from the court room during Michael Johnson’s murder trial when a video recording is played that depicts honors teen Phylicia Barnes, her half-sibling Deena Barnes, Michael Johnson, and Michael’s younger brother engaged in sexual relations. The ruling as of now will allow the tape to be aired in open court. The recording is alleged to show the defendant Michael Johnson having sex with the Barnes teen while being captured on her older half-sibling’s cell phone. Prosecutors also allege that the Barnes teen appears intoxicated along with others during the 16 minute and 31 second recording. The public airing of the recording will bring the case to a full circle as everyone in attendance during the trial when the tape is played will obtain a first hand account of the kind of atmosphere that Deena Barnes and her friends exposed a naive, book smart, and teenage Phylicia Barnes to while she visited her half-siblings in Baltimore. Now, for the first time details are possibly emerging of the state’s strategy to prove that Michael Johnson killed the pretty teen out of lust and sexual desire for the child. The tape supports other evidence that Johnson “had a thing for her”, as prosecutors have alleged. The investigation also uncovered text messages between Johnson and Barnes in excess of over 500 during the months prior to Phylicia’s last trip to Baltimore back in December of 2010. The day the child went missing Johnson was reportedly the last person to have seen Barnes alive. He showed up at Deena Barnes’ apartment to do laundry according to Deena Barnes, but took a younger relative home who didn’t have permission to be at the apartment, and subsequently returned and was alone with Barnes when she disappeared. These details are in fact a very plausible scenario considering Johnson had already engaged in sex with the teen while her older sister was present. During the sex tape Barnes is reportedly intoxicated without her full bearing. Many following the case believe the child may have been drugged possibly with some form of date rape substances. This is a factor her mother has firmly stated is the only way her daughter would take off her clothes for a man. It’s also unclear who the younger brother was that also had sex with Barnes on tape. Prosecutors wanted the tape’s audience minimized because Barnes and another juvenile were depicted in the recording. Johnson has two other younger brothers Glenton “Bootz” Johnson, and Delanie who could possibly be seen in the tape. However, tweets from Glenton literally minutes before Michael Johnson say he last saw the teen reveal Glenton  stating “don’t tell her twice, whoop her ass”. That tweet coupled with the knowledge of the sex tape may clearly show that Glenton may be the other male engaging in sex with the teen, and on the day Phylicia disappeared he and Michael may have been attempting to engage the child further sexually while her sister wasn’t present. Phylicia was now  probably more conscious, with her full bearing, and became uncooperative or non-consenting which may have cause the males to become violent with her, and resulting in her killing. It will be very interesting to see exactly how the state utilizes this evidence when it’s presented in court, but it’s obvious that charges against others viewed on the tape or present during it’s recording will more than likely be facing pending criminal charges upon the conclusion of the murder trial phase of this case. At the very least, the state could charge Deena Barnes with child endangerment and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Also, if Deena Barnes is depicted as having sex with her younger half-sister or the other minor present during the tape as well, she could also be charged with statutory rape. The state has already revealed that they plan to call Deena Barnes as a witness while the tape is aired in open court establishing her as a witness against Johnson. There has been no information made public determining whether her testimony will be made under duress, meaning that the state mandates her presence, and also resulting in what amounts to some form of a plea deal for pending criminal charges against her. Barnes testimony for the state may also answer lingering questions about five defense attorneys having filed their appearances in the case. TPC has long suspected that the volume of legal counsels involved, and court motions requesting a joint trial of defendants indicated others were possibly being charged along side Michael Johnson. Now that many of these newly developing and shocking details of the Barnes murder are being made public, it only widens a concerned public’ outrage that ponders how such a promising, and beautiful teenage girl could come to such a tragic ending.Social Media forums are buzzing with most followers of the case holding Deena Barnes completely responsible for what happened to young Phylicia Barnes. The constant question being asked from the public is why? Why would any sister allow their younger and impressionable sibling to be engaged in such filth with older men, while also introducing her to drugs and alcohol. Some suggest that it was out of jealousy by Deena Barnes for Phylicia’s perceived privileged life with her scheduled to attend college early as a scholastic standout, and others believe Deena Barnes may have retaliated against Phylicia for discovering a volume of text messages shared between Phylicia and Michael Johnson who was Deena’s boyfriend. Either perspective is simply disturbing as it depicts   pure viciousness on the part of the child’s older sibling. It’s difficult for most people to even imagine having any kind of sexual relations with their younger sister present and participating, and just outright disgusting to know that it was also recorded as well. In fact during a conversation I had with Janice Mustafa we discussed the video which was only reported as a nude streaking at the time. As we tried to make since of why Phylicia was allowed to participate in such behavior, I told Janice maybe Deena wanted or had desires to have sex with Phylicia also. We just couldn’t understand why a child would be involved in such behavior. Apparently, this is what Deena Barnes and the entire Johnson clan was all about from the very start. The reports of a gang of young men coming and going all the time, the images of a drug & alcohol fueled party atmosphere, and pictures of intoxicated young females makes a case for Deena’s place being a freaky orgy hangout. Sadly though, Janice Mustafa’s little girl became the lamb that walked into a lions den and never emerged again. This is an extremely hurtful story that impacts us all, but we must never forget this precious child who died senselessly at the hands of monsters who manipulated, extorted, and abuse her in the worst way. We send prayers up for Phylicia, the brave men and women working to find justice, and to Phylicia’s parents while we walk with them in search for closure in one of the most horrific crimes of our time. God be with us all!

We Pray Janice & Raheem Mustafa, and their surviving children can go on!

The People’s Champion

I’m David Adams