They brought ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles), Heat Seeking Helicopters, Law Enforcement from 10 Local, Federal, State Agencies, and volunteers from the Guardian Angels as well as Students from Coppin State and Morgan state Universities to the Pataspco State Park in a massive effort to locate the remains of 17 year old Phylicia Barnes. It has been nearly 4 months since the Monroe, NC Honor Student went missing late December of 2010.
Phylicia Barnes Senior Portrait
Police Officials were pretty tight lipped about the circumstances that led Police back to the area surrounded by Howard and Baltimore Counties where they had searched for the Barnes Kid before. However, sources closed to the case revealed that Investigators wanted to revisit the location because a prior search was hindered by cold weather and with the ground warming, Police were enabled to conduct a more extensive search. The details related to this recent effort reveals that Authorities appear to have switched gears from discovering the whereabouts of the Pretty and Petite Teen, to recovering her physical remains. Volunteers involved in the search say it was a very gloomy scene making the trek in and around the creeks, woods, and spacious grounds of the Historic Maryland State Park. It became even more saddening when searchers came upon a partially decomposed body. Those remains were fully clothed, not that of Phylicia Barnes, and determined to be a Male. Authorities are awaiting Autopsy Reports to determine the cause of that death. Authorities admit that they are completely stumped with the Barnes Case as no creditable leads have surfaced. Those more affiliated  with the case say that the Pataspco revisit confirms that at least one of the young men questioned about the Barnes disappearance is continuing to be a person of interest, as Authorities were led to the Park near his home early on in the Investigation. Anonymous tips about the case have come to a staggering decline from about 100 calls a month to just a mere 5. It seems that Phylica Barnes has vanished from the face of the Earth with no clues, with out reasoning, no physical evidence to point suspicion upon anyone, and simply nothing to answer the persistent question, “Why”? We Pray and ask God above for understanding, Grace, and comfort in coping with the seemingly cruel realities of  this cold world. In that, we reflect upon our own lives, yet remembering a life possibly lost, and wondering what could have been in the life of such a Beautiful Young Flower. Where are you young Phylicia?
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.
