Husband and roommates arrested after police find body of woman missing since August

Sunday, October 06, 2024 - Authorities in South Carolina have recovered the remains of Jessica Barnes, who was last seen in August, and arrested three people - her husband and two roommates.

Barnes, 20, was last seen on Aug. 1, before she disappeared from her Pendleton, S.C., home, the Pendleton Police Department said in a statement in September.

During their investigation, authorities located remains not immediately identified in nearby Pickens County, Pendleton police said in a statement this week.

A Pickens County coroner confirmed on Tuesday, Oct. 1, that the remains belong to Jessica.

After the remains were found, Pendleton police, along with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), conducted interviews with Barnes’ husband, Brandon Barnes, and the couple’s two roommates, Kendall Mims and Victoria Tippett.

Following the interviews, the three were charged by Pendleton police with several offences, including a murder charge for Brandon, police said.

In an arrest affidavit for Brandon, Pendleton police allege he used his arms to strangle Jessica to death on Aug. 2, in a Pendleton residence.

Police allege Brandon admitted to the killing. Mims and Tippett were both charged with accessory after the fact; obstruction of justice; and misprision of a felony, per police.

Police allege Mims and Tippett assisted Brandon in disposing of Jessica's body. Both women allegedly confessed to the crime, according to their respective affidavits.

Tippett is further accused of neglecting to report a crime despite allegedly witnessing the killing and having multiple opportunities to notify police.

Police further allege Mims neglected to report the crime despite being told about the killing and despite having multiple opportunities to notify police.

Jessica was reported missing by her mother Cecilia Varvara in September, Pendleton police said in their previous statement.

Varvara has claimed on several occasions that she received text messages from an account under Jessica’s name after her disappearance, but didn't believe them to be from her daughter.

On Sept. 20, police searched the residence where Brandon and Jessica lived with their roommates, Mims and Tippett.

Pendleton Police seized clues, articles of clothing, and electronic devices from the residence.

Their investigation further led police to the couple’s roommate’s car at a location frequented by both Jessica and Brandon Barnes, with phone records allegedly showing Brandon drove the vehicle to the location.

The investigation is ongoing.