Updated

Updated · denvergazette.com · Aug 19

Patrick Barnett Charged in Wife's Killing With 3 Felonies After Police Detail Throat-Slashing

Updated

Updated · denvergazette.com · Aug 19

Patrick Barnett Charged in Wife's Killing With 3 Felonies After Police Detail Throat-Slashing

Q: What will happen to the two young children who were inside the home during their mother's tragic murder?

There is no public information yet on a final placement for the couple’s two young children. What is clear from the reporting is that their father, Patrick “Ted” Barnett, was arrested and is being held without bond, so he is not in a position to care for them right now. In cases like this in Colorado, children are typically placed temporarily with a safe relative if one is available; if not, child welfare authorities can arrange emergency protective care or foster placement while the court process unfolds. The available stories do not say whether the children witnessed the killing, whether they were asleep, or whether they have already been released to Lindsey Barnett’s relatives. Lindsey’s mother is mentioned in the affidavit as speaking with investigators, which suggests extended family is involved, but no outlet has reported custody details. Because the children are minors, authorities often do not publicly disclose where they are staying or what specific child-protection actions were taken. Any longer-term decision would likely depend on family court and child welfare review, with priority generally given to the children’s immediate safety and placement with trusted relatives if possible.

3 articles · Updated · denvergazette.com · Aug 19

Jefferson County prosecutors charged Patrick Barnett, 40, with first-degree murder, tampering with a dead body and tampering with physical evidence in the Aug. 13 death of his wife, Lindsey Barnett, 37.
A newly filed affidavit says Lindsey Barnett was found in a running shower with a 5-to-6-inch neck wound, but forensic findings indicated she likely died on the bed, not in the bathroom.
Investigators said Barnett's account shifted repeatedly: he first called 911 claiming the wound was self-inflicted, then gave inconsistent explanations for cuts and scratches that police said were consistent with defensive injuries.
The affidavit also cites marital conflict, Barnett's admitted affair and his efforts to portray Lindsey as mentally unstable, while her mother told police she had never expressed suicidal thoughts and was planning for the school year.
Barnett is being held without bond in Jefferson County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court Friday; Lindsey Barnett taught art at Hutchinson and Westgate elementary schools.