Thursday, February 10, 2000
Hendrix guilty of murdering mother of 5
BY DAVID ECK
Enquirer contributor
HAMILTON — Dustin Hendrix was found guilty Wednesday evening of murdering Patricia Barrett, whose body was found in August in rural Oxford Township.
Mr. Hendrix, 30, of Hamilton was found guilty of murder, felonious assault, abduction and gross abuse of a corpse.
He will be sentenced March 16 by Butler County Common Pleas Court Judge Keith Spaeth.
The six-man, six woman jury returned the verdict after deliberating for more than three hours Wednesday.
“We thank everybody,” said Shirley Abel, Miss Barrett's sister. “We can't bring her back, but now we can let her rest in peace. We had justice served.”
Several of Miss Barrett's family members, including five of her sisters, cried openly as the verdict was read.
Mr. Hendrix showed no emotion.
Butler County Assistant Prosecutor Daniel Gattermeyer commended investigators and pathologists for their work in winning the guilty verdicts.
He said Miss Barrett was found with no identification in an abandoned shed, and investigators had little to work with.
“I was very happy for the family too,” Mr. Gattermeyer said. “Part of the defense was to indicate the victim ... was leading a very negative lifestyle. ”
Dr. Robert Pfalzgraf of the Hamilton County Coroner's office testified Wednesday that a fractured thyroid indicated that Ms. Barrett died of strangulation, not a drug overdose.
That coincides with what Butler County Coroner Dr. Richard Burkhardt and pathologist Dr. Norman Hurwitz said in court Tuesday.
The body of Ms. Barrett, a 27-year-old mother of five, was found Aug. 15 in an abandoned shed.
Dr. Pfalzgraf performed a second autopsy on Ms. Barrett in November, and found the fractured thyroid. The break was overlooked during the first autopsy.
During the trial, Drs. Burkhardt and Hurwitz said that after the first autopsy, they ruled that Ms. Barrett died of a drug overdose. The cause of death was changed after the second autopsy.
The defense called no witnesses.
In closing statements, Mr. Gattermeyer said Mr. Hendrix continually lied to investigators about his involvement in the case and changed his story several times.
Marks on Ms. Barrett's neck and her fractured thyroid indicated she was murdered, Mr. Gattermeyer said.
“You know the evidence. You know the defendant is guilty of what he is charged with,” Mr. Gattermeyer told jurors. “He admits he's the one that dropped that body up there in the shed. He's willing to continue fabricating anything to get out of trouble.”
Witnesses said Ms. Barrett met Mr. Hendrix at a Hamilton bar Aug. 12 and he went to a party with her and her friends.
Though Ms. Barrett led a lifestyle that included alcohol and other drug use, Mr. Gattermeyer told jurors that couldn't play into their decision.
“Don't fall into the trap of thinking bad about the victim,” he said.
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