Man accused of killing wife ordered held on $2 million bail
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TACOMA, Wash. - A man who prosecutors say killed his wife and called KOMO News to ask that killing be posted on Facebook has now been charged with her murder.
In court on Monday, Tony Barrett, sporting a tattoo with the name of his wife Sara, pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping. He was ordered to remain held on $2 million bail.
Prosecutors revealed Monday that Sara Barrett had filed for divorce just days before she was killed and that Sara had been concerned for her life. She told Tony Barrett's current girlfriend a week before the murder that she was becoming increasingly afraid of her husband, investigators said.
Police began searching for Sara late Wednesday after her husband called KOMO News and said he had killed her.
He said he wanted a message put on Facebook: "I just killed my wife ... I want you to put it on your Facebook."
KOMO News then immediately notified police.
Deputies found Sara's car at her workplace, a Pier 1 Imports distribution center in Dupont. Inside the car officers saw what they believed to be blood.
Police in Tacoma spotted Tony's truck early Thursday but he sped off, leading officers on a chase across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge at speeds approaching 100 mph. Officers had to use spike stripes to bring the chase to an end.
Officials said Tony got out of the truck and attacked officers with a crowbar before he was subdued. His wife's body was found strangled a short time later at a Motel 6 in Tacoma.
On Monday in Pierce County Superior Court, Barrett didn't speak and hid his face behind a piece of paper to shield it from the media. But his right bicep was visible through his dark green smock, revealing a tattoo bearing the name of his slain wife Sara.
Court records show that Tony Barrett also was charged with attacking his wife for unexplained reasons in 2007, holding a pillow over her face until she nearly suffocated.
The couple's grown son broke down the bedroom door and stopped the attack, according to court records, and Tony Barrett fled from the home when he learned police were on the way.
He later pleaded guilty to third-degree assault for that attack, serving one day in jail and two years under Department of Corrections supervision.
He was ordered not to have any "hostile contact" with Sara Barrett for five years. That order expired on Feb. 25.
Barrett's next court appearance is scheduled for April 25 with trial set to begin on May 13.
In court on Monday, Tony Barrett, sporting a tattoo with the name of his wife Sara, pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping. He was ordered to remain held on $2 million bail.
Prosecutors revealed Monday that Sara Barrett had filed for divorce just days before she was killed and that Sara had been concerned for her life. She told Tony Barrett's current girlfriend a week before the murder that she was becoming increasingly afraid of her husband, investigators said.
Police began searching for Sara late Wednesday after her husband called KOMO News and said he had killed her.
He said he wanted a message put on Facebook: "I just killed my wife ... I want you to put it on your Facebook."
KOMO News then immediately notified police.
Deputies found Sara's car at her workplace, a Pier 1 Imports distribution center in Dupont. Inside the car officers saw what they believed to be blood.
Police in Tacoma spotted Tony's truck early Thursday but he sped off, leading officers on a chase across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge at speeds approaching 100 mph. Officers had to use spike stripes to bring the chase to an end.
Officials said Tony got out of the truck and attacked officers with a crowbar before he was subdued. His wife's body was found strangled a short time later at a Motel 6 in Tacoma.
On Monday in Pierce County Superior Court, Barrett didn't speak and hid his face behind a piece of paper to shield it from the media. But his right bicep was visible through his dark green smock, revealing a tattoo bearing the name of his slain wife Sara.
Court records show that Tony Barrett also was charged with attacking his wife for unexplained reasons in 2007, holding a pillow over her face until she nearly suffocated.
The couple's grown son broke down the bedroom door and stopped the attack, according to court records, and Tony Barrett fled from the home when he learned police were on the way.
He later pleaded guilty to third-degree assault for that attack, serving one day in jail and two years under Department of Corrections supervision.
He was ordered not to have any "hostile contact" with Sara Barrett for five years. That order expired on Feb. 25.
Barrett's next court appearance is scheduled for April 25 with trial set to begin on May 13.
I hope he gets what he deserves! Does anyone know how his omnibus trail was today?
"He was ordered not to have any "hostile contact" with Sara Barrett for five years. That order expired on Feb. 25."
Why wasn't he ordered not to have hostile contact with her for life? I don't get why any order like that would be dated.... I doubt it would have stopped him from being violent and killing her in the end; I just don't see why we would date such an order for 5 years.
I wonder how many people calling for him to be slowly killed in public have any idea that they are a huge contributing factor to our violent society.Â
Probably not many of them.Â
He should be executed after "due process" finding him guilty etc. Hung in front of the courthouse. I'd like this one live stream so I can hear his heels clicking on the boards.
He needs to be "re-located" to a shared cell with Bubba..........Lets see how well he likes it getting the same treatment that he gave out, to so someone who was just trying to move on with her life...... Â Â
RIH..whimp!
..after you pass thru
00:56 Did Sally from Peanuts grow up to become a Pierce County Superior Court judge?
What a wuss! Sara died from this abuser hands. Hopefully his GF learns a lesson and stays away from the clown!
I think he is smiling behind that piece of paper. Look at his eyes.
@jdoll88Â ..hope he gets the death penalty.
Classic male abuser. You can not escape these types unless you change your name, social security number, state you live in etc. I knew a lady I worked with who had to do that. I never did know her real name, only the one given to her when she was rescued. She completely re-did her entire life to escape. These men think of these women as possessions only.
And they worry about kids with baggy pants and this POS would go unnoticed?? Wake up people !!
Why are females attracted to this guy??
@Sanctuary Many women are attracted to "bad" boys. This guy is more than bad he is evil.
All things considered, his girl friend just got very lucky.Unfortunately, the same can not be said for his poor wife.RIP Sara, Like most I wish things had turned out differently.
He looks like a tool.
His eyes look like he's laughing behind that bag.
So he has a girlfriend but is not content to let his current wife go on with her life. He is a real peach!
I understand due process and all, but it still annoys me that we have to spend money on lawyers when the suspect confessed or is caught red handed or on video. How is it possible to confess then plead not guilty. Our laws need to be amended, the system is broken in favor of the criminal.
@Alert Eagle While the chances of it happening are somewhat slim, the chance always exists that the confession was not made by a sane individual acting on his own free will. It could've been under duress, a temporary moment of insanity, or maybe he just felt like screwing with the system and confessed to a crime to get locked up. In any case, that would mean punishing someone who didn't deserve it, achieving no justice for the victim, and letting any other guilty person go free.
Bottom line: the process ensures that the right person, beyond a reasonable doubt, is punished. You are mistaken when you say the law is not in favor of the criminal; in fact, the law is in favor of the innocent. It's better to let 10 guilty men go free than to lock up 1 innocent person.
A typical sociopathical abusive 'control freak'. When he was ranting and raving to his friends and his own family did anyone speak up and tell him he was out of line? This poor girl trying to make a life for herself and her boy(s) and it coming to this. The ONLY THING you girls can do is to do all the legal paperwork (the restraining orders and all) and then hop in your car with a couple hundred well-invested dollars and head out to the pawn shop and buy yourself a small revolver. Then strap it on your body-anywhere it fits-a holster in your jeans, underwear, whatever it takes. Don't hesitate to use it.. That cell phone or the police 20 minutes aren't going to help you. Protect yourself because when push comes to shove you're on your own. The 'h' with political corcorrectness and followign the gun laws. DO IT!
@Linda-you are so right...Â
"...He was ordered not to have any "hostile contact" with Sara Barrett for five years. .."
Boy - that sure sounds effective...
@Throbbinhood It was effective... until the order expired.
@Throbbinhood The order expired so its alright?
Considering the murder rate, it's seems lots people think that the day they kill someone (who deserves it, of course) will be a good day, some way. It won't. Gun nuts live for the day they can kill (a serial murder) bad guy breaking in the back window (to rape his children and dogs). Gangs kill just for not getting respect, and more. Men kill out of righteous anger and real jealousy. We kill for turf, for misunderstandings. It's always been a common thing. Â
Most killers never think past the event. It's never all good. Usually it's a bad scene, or a horrible scene, or even worse. Think of ways to avoid killing. It's makes life better all around.
@Bob Owen "Gun nuts live for the day they can kill" And with that statement you discredited your entire statement. Good work
@yeahguy@Bob OwenOh, really? A brief perusal of the comments on this story might change your mind:
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Police-Residents-quick-dialing-foils-armed-intruder-198816801.html
NW-Economist (not really an economist) practically called me a commie for not embracing his "must kill all the bad guys" proposal.
Also, why would you get offended when someone says less-than-complimentary things about "gun nuts?"Â Is this a term of abuse that you personally identify with?
@Sutekh @yeahguy @Bob Owen gun nuts could mean gun aficionados...which doesn't inherently mean they want to kill someone. But that's ok, be insecure and resort to outlandish exaggerations like this. Unreal....
dude looks like a swine with hat, relocate him to Pluto
@Lrry*x*KÂ .......Liberal use of the death penalty would send guys like this to Pluto....
@Lrry*x*KÂ Pluto wouldn't take this ilk! I would settle for a rocket ship ride straight to Hell for this one and many like him...
Hang him, fry him, shoot him, drown him, just do it nice and slow please.
@F4IÂ Alas... The Death Penalty has become extinct and this worthless soul will rot on our dime.
It is more expensive to execute someone than it is to give them life. #thingsthatarefacts
@Funky-Munky @F4I Actually, he will live quite well on our dime.  If only we could actually let him just sit and rot.
My dog just left a "Tony Barrett" in the yard. Real class guy... still married and has a girlfriend, yet he's upset for her asking for a divorce? They should auction off the chance to flip the switch on this scumÂ
Hey Tony, I just put "Tony Barrett is a woman murdering low life puzzy who deserves to be repeatably raped in prison" on my Facebook page. Â I expect about 100,000 "Likes".Â
@Sparky2112Â Now that was a zinger....
Facebook is really cool
The murder was obviously premeditated so.................. Fry him!
He wanted it posted all over Facebook and wanted it in the news for the world to see, but now he is hiding behind some piece of paper.  What a spineless POS.Â
@The WA Mama AND pleading not guilty, after admitting it. He deserves the death penalty.
What a scumbag.Â
Wow! For a minute I thought that was the unknown comic...