On December 28, 2011 the one year anniversary in the disappearance of Monroe, N.C. Honors Teen Phylicia Barnes, her Step Father and real Dad Raheem Mustafa reached out to me and expressed concerns regarding comments made by Barnes Family members pertaining to his daughter’s murder case. Mustafa stated that there are lies being told and that he has grown tired of hearing them. The grieving dad who for the most part has remained silent during the course of this entire murder mystery has requested that much of our discussion remain off the record, and I will only mention the pertinent details that he has authorized me to discuss publicly. Mustafa indicated that his family continue to be deeply moved and saddened by the sudden and tragic lost of their promising daughter Simone. He has been silent because remaining focused on providing for his family, comforting their remaining kids, and his wife Janice Sallis-Musatfa continues to be his top priority. He advised me that he doesn’t do “Social Media”, but he became upset and angered by comments on the TPC Blog that he finally began to read. Mr. Mustafa echoed his wife Janice’ rebuttal to a debut post that Bryan Barnes made in response to a TPC article in which she gave a perspective on the case. He initially addressed Bryan Barnes’ comment pertaining to when he and Janice arrived in Baltimore. Mustafa advised me that when he was first informed that Simone was missing, he was actually on the job on the road, and had to drive back to North Carolina. Due to the nature of his work and the distance and time he traveled, it was imperative for him to rest prior to escorting his wife to Baltimore. Mustafa did not have to share that with me because it’s completely understandable that working families need to prepare to travel on an unexpected emergency. There were vital preparations that needed to be made like obtaining supervision for their other minor children. Mustafa also addressed Bryans’ comments about the Barnes having waited on him and Janice hand and foot. He explained that he covered the entire bill for their lodging at a hotel and their meals. The Barnes didn’t contribute in any way. Mustafa said he never saw any incidents where the Barnes family participated in searching for Simone during the time that they were in Baltimore. Mustafa made it a point that Harry Watson, a relative of the Barnes’, was the only Barnes that met with them. He also indicated that his other Daughter Shauntel Sallis called a friend in New York who contacted relatives and friends in Baltimore, and “a young brother” showed up in minutes to help us such for “our baby Simone”. Mustafa expressed complete gratitude to the young man for helping them drive the streets of Baltimore looking for their child. “I have the upmost respect for that young brother for doing that”, he said. Mustafa went on to say that all of those people (20-30) who were at Deena’s apartment just sat around socializing while they were combing the streets of Baltimore in some of the grittiest parts of town looking for Simone. He also addressed Bryan’s concern that they only stayed a few days and never returned to help search for Phylicia. Mustafa said he was concerned for his wife, because she was so desperate to find their child that she began walking up to strangers asking about Simone. “You know you can’t walk up to strange people in a place like Baltimore. Janice was about to lose her mind looking for her. No Man would allow their wife to go through that, and I knew I had to get her out of their”. Mustafa also explained that they were concerned about their other children they had left in North Carolina. “She had to get back to her kids, and I was running out of money because we paid for everything we needed while we were there”. Although Janice simply expressed her opinions in reference to what Bryan Barnes had to say on the TPC Blog, but Mustafa took his perspective another level. Mustafa forwarded a document to me that was given to Janice by Deena on the day that they arrived in Baltimore. It was a single piece of paper with the name Christopher Briscoe at the top and contained a timeline of events that allegedly occurred on the day young Simone went missing. Mustafa conveyed complete discuss that an itinerary had been composed. “Who writes an itinerary about something like this”, Mustafa said. I agreed with him, not just that the document was disturbing, but it appeared that a collective effort by Barnes Family members was being made to shield Deena from any involvement in Simone’s disappearance. The itinerary contradicts statements that Deena and kelly both made on the “Peas In Their Pods” broadcast. Take a look for yourselves:
The itinerary that Deena Barnes gave Janice Sallis-Mustafa upon her arrival to Baltimore and appears to be an attempt to explain what occurred on the day youg Phylicia Simone Barnes disappeared.
I purposely took some time to write about my interview with Raheem Mustafa because I wanted to do some thorough research into some of the things that he shared with me. There were several things Mustafa wanted me to look into and I’ll get into some of that later in this post. The itinerary jumped out at me instantly when I received it. During the “Peas” broadcast Deena Barnes was asked by the Host to clarify reports in the media that Phylicia was seen sleeping on some one on the couch. Deena’s response was adamant that she wasn’t sleeping on any one. We can clearly see according to the itinerary that the document’s composer wrote, “1 04 mike text Deena to say Sympone feel asleep on him”. I actually played the broadcast back several times to be accurate, and during the “Peas” interview at about the 17:18 mark, Deena strongly denied that account. Why would the composer of the itinerary note such an account on the document and give it to Janice if it wasn’t accurate. I can understand confusion about dates and times, but if someone reported seeing Phylicia asleep on Michael Johnson, I am sure there wouldn’t be any confusion regarding that eyewitness account especially considering the fact that the child went missing. The co-host asked Kelly what time she communicated with Phylicia that day and Kelly stated around the same time Deena had previously stated, at 10:00 a.m. I was confused by her response as well because the itinerary indicates that the first communication Kelly had with Phylicia was actually at 12:35 according to the itinerary. The itinerary’s account also contradicts Deena’s early comments that Phylicia had talked to Kelly earlier that morning regarding the hair appointment. Also, Deena was asked if she communicated with Michael Johnson after 3:00 p.m. on that day and Deena indicated that she heard from MJ at 6:10 p.m. However, the itinerary disputes those comments as well. The itinerary indicates that Michael texted Deena at 5:10 p.m. to say “Symone was up and active” and highlighted “*he never says symone is not at the apt”. A close look at the itinerary and considering all that we know so far about the Barnes sister’ account, it’s obvious there are even more inconsistencies in the women’s story. We could probably dismiss some of their accounts as a result of nervousness during a live broadcast, but it isn’t convincing that some of these details were not in the forefront of their memory. How do you forget that Michael told you Phylicia was up and active? Why didn’t Deena include the “going to get something to eat” comment during the “Peas” Interview? I am glad Mustafa made the document public because it establishes as a fact, the confusion surrounding their account, and justifies the public’ suspicion of the older Barnes females. Mustafa was also concerned that the public has only talked about the “Peas In Their Pods” broadcast with Simone’s siblings. He wanted it to be known that the “Peas” interview with Russell Barnes was even more disturbing. I listened to that broadcast as well and I won’t comment on it because it simply lacked any substance on his part what so ever. I walked away from that interview feeling Russell Barnes should never have been interviewed. You can listen to it here. The interview also entailed discussions about our children and our personal lives. Mustafa talked about his daughter’s memory a little and said, “One of my fondest memories about my baby was when I used to pick her up from school, and the first thing she wanted to do was go by the airport and watch the planes take off. She always kept her head to the skies”.
David B. Adams is a journalist, crime writer, and founder of The People's Champion, a platform built on truth, justice, and advocacy for the overlooked. For over a decade, Adams has investigated wrongful convictions, missing and exploited children, homelessness, and the political forces that shape marginalized communities' lives.
What sets his work apart is a refusal to sensationalize. Adams treats crime reporting as human storytelling — pushing past headlines to examine the systemic failures in law enforcement, the courts, and government that so often go unexamined. He's built a reputation among activists and advocates for combining deep research, personal narrative, and unflinching commentary.
The People's Champion began as a personal outlet and has grown into a respected independent voice in crime and justice journalism, read by audiences nationwide who care about accountability and the people too often left out of the story.
