Phylicia Barnes, 17 yr old honors student, missing as of 12.28.2010/4.20.2011 Phylicia’s nude body was found in the Susquehanna River/4.25.2012/Michael M. Johnson arrested for her murder/Johnson found guilty of 2nd degree murder/Johnson to get new trial

Another lost thread...

BALTIMORE – Baltimore police said they have arrested a man in the death of a North Carolina teenager whose body was found in a river after she vanished in 2010 while visiting relatives in the area.
A man he identified as Michael Johnson has been arrested in the death of 16-year-old Phylicia Barnes, of Monroe, N.C., police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told The Associated Press early Thursday.
Guglielmi said prosecutors would release more information later Thursday on the arrest.
Barnes was visiting her older half-siblings in Baltimore when she disappeared Dec. 28, 2010. Workers at the Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna River found her body the following April in northeast Maryland. Medical examiners later ruled the death a homicide.
Soon after the teen vanished, Baltimore police alerted local media saying her disappearance was unusual because she had no history of disputes with her family or trouble with the law. Police called it one of the strangest and most vexing missing persons cases they had investigated.
At one point, Guglielmi described it as "Baltimore's Natalee Holloway case," referring to the Alabama teen who disappeared during a trip to Aruba.


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Phylicia Barnes Update: Michael Johnson arrested for the murder of the NC teen, police say



(CBS/AP) BALTIMORE - Baltimore police said they have arrested a man in the death of North Carolina teenager Phylicia Barnes, whose body was found in a river after she vanished in 2010 while visiting relatives in the area.

Michael Johnson has been arrested in the teen's death, police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told The Associated Press early Thursday.

Authorities have said Johnson was the former boyfriend of Barnes' older sister and the last person to see her alive. Guglielmi said prosecutors would release more information later Thursday on the arrest.

Barnes, 16, disappeared Dec. 28, 2010 while visiting her sister in northwest Baltimore.

Workers at the Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna River found her body the following April in northeast Maryland. Medical examiners later ruled the death a homicide.

Soon after the teen vanished, Baltimore police alerted local media saying her disappearance was unusual because she had no history of disputes with her family or trouble with the law. Police called it one of the strangest and most vexing missing persons cases they had investigated.

At one point, Guglielmi described it as "Baltimore's Natalee Holloway case," referring to the Alabama teen who disappeared during a trip to Aruba.

The case led to a bill in the Maryland legislature called "Phylicia's Law," to improve coordination between law enforcement and community groups when a child disappears. The bill requires state officials to publish a list of missing children and annual statistics. They may also keep a list of groups of volunteers to help with searches and local law enforcement must try to work with them.

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Phylicia Barnes Case: Police Arrest Michael Johnson A Year After Teen Was Found Dead
Posted: 04/26/2012 11:43 am

An arrest has been made in the 2010 slaying of Phylicia Barnes.

Police in Maryland have made an arrest in the slaying of Phylicia Barnes, a North Carolina teen whose body was found floating in a river after she vanished while visiting relatives in Baltimore.

Michael Johnson was taken into custody late Wednesday night by a Baltimore City Police Warrant Apprehension Task Force. Johnson is reportedly the ex-boyfriend of Barnes' older half-sister. Authorities have confirmed Johnson’s arrest in Barnes' homicide, but have yet to comment on any specific charges that have been filed against Johnson.

Barnes, 16, was visiting Baltimore in 2010 when she disappeared during the Christmas holidays. She was last seen on the afternoon of Dec. 28, 2010, at the Baltimore apartment of her 27-year-old half-sister, Deena Barnes. Authorities were immediately suspicious. Phylicia Barnes was a straight-A student who had never been in any previous trouble with the law.

"This is not a runaway," Baltimore police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said at the time of Barnes' disappearance. "We suspect some type of foul play. The question is: What kind of foul play?"

In the days following Barnes' disappearance, Baltimore police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told AOL News that the case was not receiving enough national attention.

"We would really like the national outlets to help us out here ... It has been incredibly frustrating for me," Guglielmi said. "We've been pitching this since the 29th [and] have not gotten any traction. This case is no different than the Natalee Holloway case. The only difference is Phylicia is from North Carolina, she went missing in Baltimore and she is African American."

Guglielmi added, "I just think if we could get America just to see her picture -- that is all we are asking -- maybe that will lead detectives to a break and save this young lady's life."

Several other national media outlets then took notice, including "Good Morning America" and HLN's Nancy Grace.

Unfortunately, the search for Barnes came to a tragic end on April 20, 2011, when her body was pulled from the Susquehanna River in northeastern Maryland near the Conowingo Dam. Barnes' death was ruled a homicide by the office of the chief medical examiner in Maryland, but authorities have declined to release the cause of death.

"To release a cause of death at this time could jeopardize the investigation by revealing information known only to the person or persons responsible for her death," Maryland State Police said in a statement. "The cause of death will be made public at an appropriate time in the future."

According to the Baltimore state attorney's office, authorities have scheduled a press conference for Thursday at 1 p.m. to discuss the latest developments in the case.

I remember this case quite well and am really starting to WONDER just WHERE these threads, that we have worked so Hard on, are going!!!!!

He attended church regularly. He even contemplated a career in law enforcement. For ten years, while dating her older sister, he was considered a member of Phylicia Barnes’ family.

Then, on June 20, several of Phylicia’s relatives who had thought of Michael M. Johnson as family sat across the courtroom from his mother and father as he pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in her death.

“It’s a crazy feeling when someone who was a part of the family takes another part of the family,” Phylicia’s father, Russell Barnes, told the AFRO on June 26.

The death of Phylicia Barnes has been referred to as the “Baltimore Natalee Holloway case,” referring to the young Texas high school student who went missing on a senior trip in Aruba in 2005. Her body has never been found.

Phylicia was a 17-year-old honor student from Monroe, N.C. when she went missing in Dec. 28, 2010. She had been staying with her half-sister, Deena, in Baltimore, the last of several times she had traveled north to spend time with family after connecting with her half-siblings on the Internet years after Russell Barnes and her mother divorced.

After initially ignoring the case, national media later embraced the investigation, conducting interviews with Russell Barnes and other relatives and accompanying volunteers and police as they conducted several searches.

Initially, police believed the aspiring Towson University student had run away. They later determined that nothing in her background pointed to taking off without notifying her mother, who lived in Monroe or her father in Atlanta, Ga.

“I told them, Phylicia’s not a runaway,” Russell Barnes recalled telling authorities. “She doesn’t have mother or father problems or family issues.”

There were candlelight vigils and a reward. There were pleas from her loved ones, to what they hoped was an abductor, to bring her home. Then, on April 20, 2011, just shy of five months after she disappeared, Phylicia’s body was found by workers in the Conowingo Dam in the Susquehanna River. Tattoo marks and dental records were used to identify the body. She was nude.

A year later, on April 25, 2012, Johnson was arrested. He is scheduled to face trial on Aug. 13.

According to authorities and relatives, Johnson was believed to be the last person to see Phylicia alive. Deena told a reporter in 2011 that Johnson and his younger brother had been among visitors at her apartment the night before Phylicia went missing. His brother had spent the night. The next morning, Johnson had returned to the house, collected his brother, driven him to their grandmother’s, then returned to Deena’s apartment, she said.

He told Deena he returned to the house to do laundry. He had lived with her until a breakup not long before Phylicia arrived. Police said Johnson had traded hundreds of emails with Phylicia in the months before she traveled to Baltimore. She told an acquaintance that he made her feel ill at ease.

After she disappeared, Johnson distanced himself from the family, fueling speculation, Russell Barnes said, that he may have been involved in her his daughter’s disappearance. Russell Barnes traveled to Baltimore from his home in Atlanta after Phylicia’s death and spent more than three months searching for his daughter. Johnson did not help with the search and rescue efforts, he said.

Johnson quickly became the police’s number one suspect. In court last week, he did not look at Phylicia’s family members. Deena Barnes had sent an email to a judge asking that asking that Johnson be held without bail. Johnson remains jailed.

“I had never seen him since that day [of the initial search] until I saw him last week in court in shackles. He didn’t look up at us at all. They brought him in and out fast. It was tense,” said Russell Barnes.

Russell Barnes called the murder of his daughter “a nightmare.” He said he and his family have used their misfortune to help others. On May 1, 2012,
Gov. ernor Martin O’Malley signed Phylicia’s Law, which requires the state to publish a list of missing children and volunteers who can aid in the search.

Sponsored by Maryland State Delegate Jill E. Carter, (D-Baltimore), Phylicia’s Law became the first of its kind to be named after an African American.

In late 2011, Phylicia’s family started the PSB Foundation, Inc.,whose with the announced mission is to of aiding awareness of for missing children and to provide scholarships to students at Phylicia’s high school and Towson University, where she had been accepted to attendas an incoming freshman.

As they await the August trial, Phylicia’s family is hoping that Johnson will end their suspense. Police believe he killer killed her in Deena Barnes’ apartment then took her out in a large plastic container. Witnesses told police they saw him struggling with a large plastic tub.
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He attended church regularly. He even contemplated a career in law enforcement. For ten years, while dating her older sister, he was considered a member of Phylicia Barnes’ family.

Damn!! You seriously Never Know!

by Wrapitup on Thu 26 Apr 2012 - 12:09

Unfortunately, the search for Barnes came to a tragic end on April 20, 2011, when her body was pulled from the Susquehanna River in northeastern Maryland near the Conowingo Dam. Barnes' death was ruled a homicide by the office of the chief medical examiner in Maryland, but authorities have declined to release the cause of death.

"To release a cause of death at this time could jeopardize the investigation by revealing information known only to the person or persons responsible for her death," Maryland State Police said in a statement. "The cause of death will be made public at an appropriate time in the future."

I remember this case well also. Such a beautiful girl. I did not see where they had pulled her body from the Susquehanna River back in April 2011. In the beginning I was seeing a little about it in the big papers around here, but they must have dropped the coverage. I have often wondered what happened to her.

by Wrapitup on Sun 8 Jul 2012 - 13:02

He attended church regularly. He even contemplated a career in law enforcement. For ten years, while dating her older sister, he was considered a member of Phylicia Barnes’ family.


Damn!! You seriously Never Know!

One never knows. I do remember thinking that it could have been one of her sister's friends, since Phylicia was from North Carolina and was visiting her sister. What a shame!!!

Wrapitup wrote:Phylicia Barnes Case: Police Arrest Michael Johnson A Year After Teen Was Found Dead
Posted: 04/26/2012 11:43 am

An arrest has been made in the 2010 slaying of Phylicia Barnes.

Police in Maryland have made an arrest in the slaying of Phylicia Barnes, a North Carolina teen whose body was found floating in a river after she vanished while visiting relatives in Baltimore.

Michael Johnson was taken into custody late Wednesday night by a Baltimore City Police Warrant Apprehension Task Force. Johnson is reportedly the ex-boyfriend of Barnes' older half-sister. Authorities have confirmed Johnson’s arrest in Barnes' homicide, but have yet to comment on any specific charges that have been filed against Johnson.

Barnes, 16, was visiting Baltimore in 2010 when she disappeared during the Christmas holidays. She was last seen on the afternoon of Dec. 28, 2010, at the Baltimore apartment of her 27-year-old half-sister, Deena Barnes. Authorities were immediately suspicious. Phylicia Barnes was a straight-A student who had never been in any previous trouble with the law.

"This is not a runaway," Baltimore police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said at the time of Barnes' disappearance. "We suspect some type of foul play. The question is: What kind of foul play?"

In the days following Barnes' disappearance, Baltimore police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told AOL News that the case was not receiving enough national attention.

"We would really like the national outlets to help us out here ... It has been incredibly frustrating for me," Guglielmi said. "We've been pitching this since the 29th [and] have not gotten any traction. This case is no different than the Natalee Holloway case. The only difference is Phylicia is from North Carolina, she went missing in Baltimore and she is African American."

Guglielmi added, "I just think if we could get America just to see her picture -- that is all we are asking -- maybe that will lead detectives to a break and save this young lady's life."

Several other national media outlets then took notice, including "Good Morning America" and HLN's Nancy Grace.

Unfortunately, the search for Barnes came to a tragic end on April 20, 2011, when her body was pulled from the Susquehanna River in northeastern Maryland near the Conowingo Dam. Barnes' death was ruled a homicide by the office of the chief medical examiner in Maryland, but authorities have declined to release the cause of death.

"To release a cause of death at this time could jeopardize the investigation by revealing information known only to the person or persons responsible for her death," Maryland State Police said in a statement. "The cause of death will be made public at an appropriate time in the future."

According to the Baltimore state attorney's office, authorities have scheduled a press conference for Thursday at 1 p.m. to discuss the latest developments in the case.

I remember this case quite well and am really starting to WONDER just WHERE these threads, that we have worked so Hard on, are going!!!!!

They are being deleted from the back up on purpose. Read more here [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Please go to the above thread to read my response to this.

Trial set to begin in Baltimore in murder of Monroe teen

BALTIMORE — The trial for the man accused of killing a Monroe teen is set to begin Monday in Baltimore.
Michael Johnson is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 16-year-old Phylicia Barnes.
Barnes disappeared in December of 2010 while visiting relatives in Baltimore. Her body turned up four months later in the Susquehanna River.
Johnson is the ex-boyfriend of Barnes’ older sister, whom she had been visiting when she disappeared. Police said he was the last person to see her alive.
Prosecutors said Barnes died from asphyxiation but have not given many more details.
Johnson faces first degree murder charges.

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Waiting On Justice In Barnes Teen Killing: TPC Not Done Championing The Pretty Little Girl’s Murder
Posted by goddbody on July 29th, 2012

It may seem as if the attention is no longer focused on who killed the Honors Student from Monroe, N.C. in Baltimore back in 2010. The media coverage has been minimal, readers following the child’s tragic story have dwindled, and now with accused murderer Michael Johnson preparing for an August 13 court date, it’s fitting that I publicly reiterate just how senseless, heartless, and horrific of an ordeal that this entire case has been for those who knew and loved Phylicia Simone Barnes. None of us who have closely watched this case could ever even began to image the pain and suffering that the late child’s parents have endured. The lost of such a promising child was exacerbated by attacks from the public, questioning their judgement, critiquing their comments within the media, and spewing other ungodly like innuendo at the child’s parents as if they had murdered their own child themselves. Through it all the Mustafa Family fought back, taking to the airwaves to dispell untruths and rumors that they say were started by their daughters father’s side of the family. Unfortunately, what should have been a united front from both sides of the Barnes family, spilled over into an ugly public debacle of finger-pointing, and the rehashing of old wombs (note: author said "wombs" ~ wrap) :did not do it: that was depicted in a gut wrenching and heartfelt commentary be the late teen’s mother, Janice Mustafa. I also had to withstand and endure attacks from the public as well as the Barnes Baltimore family. Despite the constant criticism from all sides of the horrific crime, I stand firmly behind my decision to cover this murder case, and for my interviews that I have conducted with parties closely associated with this case. When young black kids go missing, they seldom gain National Media attention like children from white communities. The African-American community has been depended upon the media, police authorities, and others outside of our community to resolve issues related to crime, social discord, and our children for far to long. Many of the criminal cases that occur in black neighborhoods could potentially be resolved within the first few days if citizens within many of these crime plagued communities would simply take a stand and provide the necessary information that would enable police to obtain an arrest. The burden of guilt also lay squarely on the shoulders of black people who cower in their homes after having witnessed crime or are in the know of pertinent information that could bring criminals to justice. The Barnes teen killing is textbook related to my argument of non-involvement from the black community. The volume of people who frequented Deena Barnes’ apartment coupled with all of their accounts of not having any information at all about what happened to Phylicia Barnes, is descriptive of an apathetic standard which permeates the African-American community as it relates to crime, even heinous crimes such as this, in which one of black people’s brightest hopes has fallen to the epidemic of violent culture within many urban cities across America, and their silence perpetuates a slave mentality that has reigned over our people which dates back to the worst social period in this country’s history when our ancestors lived in bondage on these shores. Yet, many from the public have deemed it necessary to attack Janice Sallis-Mustafa for allowing her child to visit her half-siblings in Baltimore. These perspectives derive from people who for what ever reason have completely ignored the fact that the mother was lied too. I believe Janice when she says that she spoke with Deena Barnes at length on the guidance she expected while her precious daughter was under her care. The fact that Phylicia herself hid certain details on the kinds of activities she was allowed to engage in, clearly shows that the mother wouldn’t have allowed her to return for future visits had she been aware, and that she was also a proactive mom who cared about the well-being of her child. Despite who may ultimately be held accountable for the child’s murder, the lies that were told to Janice Mustafa were critical in the mother’s decision to grant Phylicia permission to travel there in the first place. Also. I must remind people tha another child dropped a bomb shell on the mother prior to her traveling to Baltimore after learning her daughter had gone missing. That kid told Janice that Phylicia had been allowed to engage in drug and alcohol usage during her trips to that city. Later on TPC obtained exclusive images that showed males who frequented Deena Barnes apartment engaging in smoking marijuana and drinking vodka, which is exactly what the child had previously told Phylicia’s mother. The child had never been to Baltimore, and it is highly coincidental that she could describe with exact detail what was actually going on in that apartment. It doesn’t take rocket science to conclude that the child spoke truth, that Phylicia was also allowed to participate in such culture while visiting there, and that Janice Mustafa was in fact lied to by Deena Barnes. The lies, neglect, and poor guidance that aided the child’s killers to take her life is not only disgusting, but it remains ground zero in what happened to this beautiful little girl. As this case heads to court, these underlining facts will continue to be on the minds of people within the public who see clearly through the cloud of deception, and will always rightfully hold the child’s older half-sister accountable for the death of her baby sister. I have only just begun to start and I’m not done yet!

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Despite who may ultimately be held accountable for the child’s murder, the lies that were told to Janice Mustafa were critical in the mother’s decision to grant Phylicia permission to travel there in the first place. Also. I must remind people tha another child dropped a bomb shell on the mother prior to her traveling to Baltimore after learning her daughter had gone missing. That kid told Janice that Phylicia had been allowed to engage in drug and alcohol usage during her trips to that city. Later on TPC obtained exclusive images that showed males who frequented Deena Barnes apartment engaging in smoking marijuana and drinking vodka, which is exactly what the child had previously told Phylicia’s mother. The child had never been to Baltimore, and it is highly coincidental that she could describe with exact detail what was actually going on in that apartment. It doesn’t take rocket science to conclude that the child spoke truth, that Phylicia was also allowed to participate in such culture while visiting there, and that Janice Mustafa was in fact lied to by Deena Barnes. The lies, neglect, and poor guidance that aided the child’s killers to take her life is not only disgusting, but it remains ground zero in what happened to this beautiful little girl.

IIRC, the mother is the one that encouraged Phylicia to pursue a relationship with her half sisters after connecting with them online, never dreaming I'm sure that this type of activity was being permitted while she was there. I'm sure that she regrets now ever allowing her to establish a connection with them.

That article was pretty blatant. I have to wonder what really was going on as I thought the same thing, Lisette.

UPDATE: Trial Postponed In Phylicia Barnes' Murder Case

The trial of a Baltimore man accused of killing Phylicia Barnes has been postponed, according to WBAL TV.

The trial of Michael Johnson, the ex-boyfriend of Barnes' sister Deena, was expected to begin Monday morning at Courthouse East.

WBAL's Lowell Melser reports that the case has been postponed until January 21, 2013. Both sides have requested a delay because of 17,000 pages of new discovery evidence, according to Melser.

Johnson is accused of killing the North Carolina teenager. Barnes, who was staying with her sister in her northwest Baltimore apartment, had been reported missing in December 2010.

Months after her disappearance, Barnes' body was found in the Susquehanna River. An autopsy determined she died of asphyxiation.

Johnson was arrested earlier this year and charged with first-degree murder in Barnes' death. Prosecutors said Johnson killed Barnes in her sister's apartment, then used a 35-gallon tub to move her body.

Johnson pleaded not guilty to the charge, but Barnes' family members said they believe police got the right man.

"Justice prevailed pretty much right now. We're just glad the state's attorney brought charges against Mike Johnson, and we will make sure we stay focused and make sure that justice is served for Phylicia," said the victim's father, Russell Barnes.

But Johnson's attorney said he thinks prosecutors rushed to judgment and that the case is circumstantial at best.

"There is absolutely no physical evidence, in my opinion, that corroborates (asphyxiation). The highway bone was intact. The larynx was intact. There were no indications of trauma or injury to the physical person, so, it was pretty much ruled out circumstances. I think it probably would have been more appropriate to be an undetermined (death ruling),"said Russell Neverdon, Johnson's attorney.

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Sounds like this one might be hard to prove unless they have more than we're aware of...although I'm sure he's the one.

BALTIMORE — Lawyers for the man accused of killing a North Carolina teenager in Maryland say the girl was seen alive in Cecil County in the days after she was reported missing.

Defense attorneys for the man charged in Phylicia Barnes’ death say in a motion that they plan to call an “alibi witness.” The attorneys tell The Baltimore Sun that the witness saw Barnes alive.

The 16-year-old Barnes was an honor student from Monroe, N.C. who was reported missing in late 2010 while visiting her half-sister in Baltimore.

Prosecutors say Michael Johnson killed Barnes in her half-sister’s apartment and used a 35-gallon tub to move the body. Barnes’ body was found months later in the Susquehanna River.

Johnson has pleaded not guilty. He’s scheduled for trial in January.
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BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The case captivated the nation: a teenager on vacation in Baltimore disappeared. Months later, her body was found floating in the Susquehanna River. Now new evidence could help the man accused of murdering Phylicia Barnes.

Monique Griego has the latest developments in the case.

According to the defense, a new witness claims to have seen Barnes after police say she was murdered.

The disappearance and murder of Phylicia Barnes rocked the Baltimore community and grabbed national headlines. The 16-year-old North Carolina teen vanished in December 2010 while visiting her sister in West Baltimore. Months later, her body was found in the Susquehanna River but it would be another year before an arrest was made.

This April, police charged her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Michael Johnson, with Barnes’ murder.

“They had who they wanted in their sights and that’s who they were focused on,” said defense attorney Russell Neverdon.

Neverdon says a new witness has come forward who says he saw Barnes alive in Cecil County days after she disappeared. That contradicts the prosecution’s claim that Johnson killed Barnes in Baltimore, then transported her body in a tub.

A neighbor reportedly saw him struggling to move a large container the day Barnes went missing.

“I think that’s a physical impossibility if, in fact, this gentleman is accurate with who he saw at the time he saw her,” Neverdon said.

WJZ did contact police but they were unable to comment because of the upcoming trial.

Johnson was arrested the day after the lead investigator on the case was suspended for tactics he took while looking for his own missing daughter.

“It’s so close in time that something doesn’t smell right,” defense attorney Ivan Bates said.

The defense is now asking the department to turn over Daniel Nicholson’s internal affairs documents to find out if there was any misconduct on their client’s case.

The witness also claims to have reached out to police with this information but says they never responded.

Johnson’s trial is set to begin on Jan. 22.
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City prosecutors have filed notice that they intend to play at trial a sexually explicit video that depicts teenage murder victim Phylicia Barnes "intoxicated and engaging in sexual relations" with her alleged killer, his younger brother, and her older half-sister, court records show.
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BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A shocking twist in the case of a murdered teen found floating in the Susquehanna River. Prosecutors say they will use a video showing the victim engaging in sex acts with her accused killer.

As Gigi Barnett explains, defense attorneys say the tape could possibly help their case, too.

Electronic billboards flashed 16-year-old Phylicia Barnes’ name and face across the state.

Four months after her disappearance, investigators found the teen’s naked body floating in the Susquehanna River. Police have since charged Phylicia’s sister’s ex-boyfriend, 28-year-old Michael Johnson, with the murder.

Now, a shocking twist in the case: court documents say prosecutors plan to play a cell phone video of the honor student intoxicated and engaging in sexual relations with Johnson, his younger brother and Phylicia’s sister, Deena Barnes.


“This, of course is a game changer. So we have to look at it from that standpoint,” said Russell Neverdon, Johnson’s defense attorney.

Neverdon said his office knew about the sex tape. But the 16 minute, 31 second video was recorded and stored on Deena Barnes’ cell phone, and that changes their strategy.

“The problem is that in Maryland, we do have some statutory regulations that say certain people of certain ages cannot indulge in certain activity, particularly in the presence of someone who is supervising them,” said Neverdon.


Prosecutors filed a motion to close the courtroom if the sex tape is played and the defense says it didn’t plan on using the tape to protect the victim’s memory.

State prosecutors say they will not comment about the cell phone video because it’s part of a pending case. Meanwhile, Johnson’s trial is set for mid-January.

The judge over the case has not yet decided to close the courtroom while the video is being played. That decision should come in a couple of weeks.
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Video at link

It's very hard to imagine this. Seems very strange they've waited so long to bring this to the forefront.

A judge in Baltimore decided to let a video play in open court that apparently shows murdered teenager Phylicia Barnes having sex with the man accused of killing her.

The decision rejects prosecutors' request to close the courtroom while showing the footage, WBAL-TV reported Thursday.

Barnes, who lived in North Carolina, was 16 years old when she disappeared while visiting family Baltimore in December 2010. Her body turned up four months later in the Susquehanna River.

The suspect is 28-year-old Michael Johnson, who was dating Barnes's older half-sister at the time of the alleged murder.

Prosecutors have said the video of Barnes shows her "intoxicated" while having sex with Johnson. It's not clear how the clip relates to the murder charge, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Johnson's trial is scheduled to begin later this month.
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So, this Johnson person was videoing them having sex? I won't believe it till I see proof..don't NEED to see the video but want to hear what the prosecution has to say about this. Unbelievable!!

That's what it sounds like to me. That he maybe gave her alcohol and/or drugs, Johnson had his gf's phone and the video taped the sex acts that were happening. The prosecution wanted the courtroom closed due to she (Phylicia) being a minor and out of respect for her family but the judge won't close the courtroom.

Maybe he slipped her a micky (a roofie or whatever it's called) And gave her a cocktail. I would like to know what the toxicology reports say.

She was in the water a long time, can they still get a toxicology report?

Depends..probably. As long as she was not completely skeletonized. Learned that from the CA trial.

Suspended WITH pay. Unreal!!

Trial is set to start later this month.

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Opening statements began Friday in the trial of a man charged with killing honors student Phylicia Barnes.

Alex DeMetrick has details of the trial’s first day.

Both sides laid out their strategy in opening statements in this murder trial.

North Carolina resident Phylicia Barnes was visiting her older sister Deana Barnes in Baltimore in December 2010 when she vanished. A major search was launched, ending four months later when her nude body was found in the Susquehanna River.

In opening statements in court, the prosecution linked that disappearance and death to 18-year-old Michael Johnson, Deana Barnes’ ex boy friend of 10 years.

The jury will see evidence that includes hundreds of calls and text messages between Johnson and Barnes, a sex video of Deana and Johnson, as well as one of Phylicia and Johnson’s brother.

The jury will also hear testimony Johnson was seen struggling with a heavy container the day of the disappearance.

Johnson’s defense team arrived to challenge the state’s case.

Because of a gag order, they can’t talk now spoke to WJZ earlier.

“We don’t know her cause of death. We know what’s been suggested, but we have nothing medically, scientifically identified as what the cause of death is, and there still lies a mystery,” said Russell Neverdon, defense attorney.

Johnson’s lawyers say there is no DNA evidence linking their client to the death, and the container Johnson was carrying were belongings because he was moving out of Deana Barnes’ apartment.

In a stunning revelation, prosecutors said someone saw Phylicia Barne’s body in the apartment.

That prosecution witness is James McCrea, described by the state as a petty criminal and the defense as a jailhouse snitch and liar.

McCrea is an acquaintance of Johnson’s who alleges Johnson showed him Phylcia Barnes’ body and asked for advice on what to do with it.

The trial resumes with testimony on Monday.
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Video at link

BALTIMORE (WJZ)—There was bombshell testimony in the trial of the man accused of killing 16-year-old North Carolina honor student Phylicia Barnes.

Derek Valcourt explains jurors heard some of the most incriminating evidence against the defendant so far.

It came from a 36-year-old acquaintance of the defendant, who is being portrayed as a petty criminal, currently serving time in a Charles County detention center for theft. He testified the defendant showed him Barnes’ body and asked for help getting rid of it.

Defendant Michael Johnson sat shaking his head in disagreement as a man who goes by the name of James Lee or James McCray told jurors Johnson called him on Dec. 28, 2010 and asked him to come to the apartment, where he saw Barnes’ body wrapped in a blanket.

He testified “Johnson told me ‘you won’t believe what happened. ‘He said this girl was giving him mixed signals. He forced himself on her. After the sexual act, she wouldn’t stop crying, so he said he killed her.”


McCray said Johnson admitted to choking Barnes and asked “can you help me get rid of this body?”

McCray testified while he did not help move the body, he admitted to giving Johnson advice warning him to turn off his own phone and Barnes’ phone because police could use the GPS to track their movements.

McCray said the body was wrapped up and he could only see her hair.

He advised putting the body in a container but told Johnson not to bury it, instead dump Barnes in the ocean or another body of water so that the fish will eat her.

Police found Barnes’ naked body floating in the Harford County waters of the Susquehanna River four months after she disappeared.

Phylicia Barnes’ mother was in court and broke into tears hearing the testimony.

McCray says he was offered nothing from prosecutors in exchange for his testimony. Defense attorneys tried to attack his credibility. It will now be up to the jury to decide whether McCray should be believed.


Earlier in the day, the jury heard from the prosecution’s first witness: medical examiner Dr. Pamela Southall, who could only say that Barnes died of asphyxiation–a lack of oxygen.

Southall testified the body was moderately decomposed and there were no obvious signs of injury.

She said the findings were consistent that the body was submerged in the river in a container but could not conclusively determine whether Barnes had been strangled, smothered or drowned.

The jurors in the case did see photos of the body.
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Phylicia's older sister, Deena Barnes, took to the witness stand Monday.

Jurors also watched a video of Phylicia and Johnson. It showed a drunk Phylicia playfully grabbing Johnson's penis after a late night of streaking. The video was only visible to jurors and lawyers.

Deena testified that the same night the video was taken, about six months before Phylicia died, she saw Johnson make a pass at her sister.

"He reached forward, as if he was going to touch her sexually," Deena testified. "Phylicia just laughed and pushed his hand away."

When asked if she did anything about what she had seen, she said she thought about telling her father, but did not.

"I was scared I wouldn't be able to see Phylicia again, and my whole world right then and there would be crumbling," Deena said.

After that incident, Deena testified that her 10-year relationship with Johnson started to fall apart. On the day Phylicia disappear, Deena said Johnson avoided her texts at first, but later told her he wanted to repair their relationship.

Deena testified that a blue storage bin was missing from her apartment.

Although a judge denied an earlier request, prosecutors were also prepared to use a 35-gallon blue storage bin in a demonstration before jurors, WBAL-TV 11 News I-Team lead investigative reporter Jayne Miller said.
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BALTIMORE —Prosecutors said Johnson killed Barnes in her sister's apartment and then used that storage bin to move her body. To help prove their theory, on Jan. 22, prosecutors said they wanted to use the bin in court and have someone about the same size as Barnes get in to show it's big enough to hold a body.

Prosecutors reveal they'll be calling a surprise witness in the trial of the man accused of killing North Carolina teenager Phylicia Barnes.

But Johnson's lawyers argued that no such container was ever found. They said witness statements are so confusing that the in-court demonstration by prosecutors shouldn't be allowed. The judge agreed but said another ruling could come later.

Prosecutors on Friday said they planned on calling a surprise witness in the case. During opening statements, prosecutors told jurors an acquaintance of Johnson, who was not identified, would testify he saw Barnes' body on the bed of an apartment where Johnson lived the day she disappeared.

Johnson is accused of killing the 16-year-old Barnes in December 2010 while she was visiting family in Baltimore.

Barnes' body was found in the Susquehanna River in Cecil County four months after she disappeared. Johnson was arrested a year later and charged with murder.
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BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A tense moment during the trial of the man accused of murdering honor student Phylicia Barnes.

Derek Valcourt has more on the harsh warning the judge gave to Phylicia Barnes’ father and stepfather.

The two men apparently had some words between them and that’s when the judge threatened to throw them both in jail.

It’s unclear what happened between Phylicia Barnes’ father, Russell, and her stepfather, but Judge Al Nance–known for his stern courtroom demeanor–called the two men up to the bench and admonished them.

“This is about Phylicia,” he said. “This is about Phylicia and if it happens again I’ll throw you both in jail.”

The warning took just one minute out of the trial of Michael Johnson, the man accused of killing the 16-year-old North Carolina girl who went missing in December 2010 after visiting her sister’s apartment.

Detective William Simmons, who helped lead the search for Barnes, took the stand to tell jurors about exhaustive city police efforts to find Phylicia. Detectives canvassed neighborhoods and spent days searching places like Patapsco State Park. It was four months before Phylicia’s naked body was found in the Harford County waters of the Susquehanna River.

Late Tuesday, the jury heard an audio recording of a police interview with the defendant, Michael Johnson, just days after Phylicia disappeared. He acknowledged he was the last known person to see her alive. He told police when he left her, she was asleep on her sister’s couch.

Also Tuesday, jurors heard brief testimony from the defendant’s two brothers and cousin, who talked about their relationships with Phylicia and testimony from the DNR officer who recovered Phylicia’s body from the river.

Prosecutors said Johnson killed Barnes in her sister's apartment and then used that storage bin to move her body. To help prove their theory, on Jan. 22, prosecutors said they wanted to use the bin in court and have someone about the same size as Barnes get in to show it's big enough to hold a body.

PROSECUTORS CALL SURPRISE WITNESS IN BARNES CASE

Prosecutors reveal they'll be calling a surprise witness in the trial of the man accused of killing North Carolina teenager Phylicia Barnes.

But Johnson's lawyers argued that no such container was ever found. They said witness statements are so confusing that the in-court demonstration by prosecutors shouldn't be allowed. The judge agreed but said another ruling could come later.

Prosecutors on Friday said they planned on calling a surprise witness in the case. During opening statements, prosecutors told jurors an acquaintance of Johnson, who was not identified, would testify he saw Barnes' body on the bed of an apartment where Johnson lived the day she disappeared.

Johnson is accused of killing the 16-year-old Barnes in December 2010 while she was visiting family in Baltimore.

Barnes' body was found in the Susquehanna River in Cecil County four months after she disappeared. Johnson was arrested a year later and charged with murder.

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Posted on February 2, 2013 at 3:30 PM

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Baltimore prosecutors have rested their case against a man accused of killing a North Carolina teenager.

Circuit Court Judge Alfred Nance said he'll let the case against Michael Maurice Johnson continue, even though he says he's concerned the evidence presented is circumstantial.

Defense lawyers now get to present their case.

Johnson is accused in the 2010 slaying of 16-year-old Phylicia Barnes. The teenager from Monroe, N.C., was visiting relatives in Baltimore when she disappeared. Her body was found in the Susquehanna River months after she went missing.

Among the witnesses so far have been the teenager's older sister and a man who says Johnson called him for help in getting rid of her body.

Johnson's lawyers have said there is no DNA evidence linking their client to the crime.
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Posted on February 6, 2013 at 11:36 AM
Updated Wednesday, Feb 6 at 4:21 PM

BALTIMORE, MD -- A Maryland man accused of killing a Union County teen was found guilty of second-degree murder on Wednesday morning in a Baltimore courtroom, according to multiple reports.

Phylicia Barnes disappeared while visiting her sister over Christmas in 2010. The 16-year-old's body was found floating in the Susquehanna River 50 miles northeast of Baltimore several months later.

Investigators say Michael Johnson, 28, killed the teen, putting her body in a plastic bin.

On Monday, defense attorneys called only one witness before resting their case. Johnson's lawyers have said there is no DNA evidence linking their client to the 2010 slaying. In closing arguments, prosecutors admitted they had no smoking gun.
Jurors in the murder trial saw a sexually explicit cell phone video of the victim, her sister, Johnson and Johnson's younger brother. Johnson had dated Phylicia's sister, Deena, for about eight or nine years before the murder.

The dead teen's sister testified Monday at the trial. Deena Barnes, 29, admitted that she gave Phylicia alcohol and said she and Phylicia were intoxicated when the cell phone video was recorded.
Barnes was an honors student at Union Academy in Monroe. She was reported missing on December 28, 2010, just weeks before her 17th birthday.
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Posted on February 4, 2013 at 5:22 PM

The jury is now deciding the fate of a Maryland man accused of killing a Union County teen.

Phylicia Barnes disappeared while visiting her sister over Christmas in 2010.

Her body was found floating in a river several months later.

Investigators say Michael Johnson killed the teen, putting her body in a plastic bin.

On Monday, defense attorneys called only one witness before resting their case.

In closing arguments, prosecutors admitted they had no smoking gun.
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Sorry, I dropped the ball on this case and the last two posts are out of order. But am so glad this POS was convicted!

Thank Goodness there is Finally resolution to this case. Thanks, Raine!

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The man convicted of killing 16-year-old Phylicia Barnes will get a new trial.

Derek Valcourt has more on what happened during the sentencing of Michael Johnson.

The defense says Johnson did not get a fair trial. His lawyers challenged the credibility of the key witness in the prosecution’s case who testified that Johnson asked him for help disposing of Barnes’ body. The judge agreed.

“We are disappointed in the judge’s decision, but we look forward to the new trial in which we will be able to present the evidence and testimony we believe establishes the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt,” State’s Attorney Gregg L. Bernstein said.

Johnson’s lawyer says the prosecution did not give the defense a complete criminal background for James McCray, the main witness in the case. The defense says they found out McCray had been incarcerated in Baltimore County right around the time of Johnson’s arrest. They say that casts doubt on the prosecution’s argument that McCray did not know anything about the case.

In addition, the defense says a day after the trial, a Montgomery County detective found McCray not credible. The defense has 10 days to request a new trial, but they say the prosecution did not turn over the detective’s findings until 15 days after the trial.

Johnson, 29, was convicted last month of killing Phylicia Barnes.

The North Carolina honors student disappeared three days after Christmas 2010 while visiting her sister’s Baltimore apartment.

An intense police search that garnered national media attention ended four months later when her body was found floating in the Susquehanna River.

Prosecutors say Johnson sexually assaulted Barnes, then killed her and dumped her body.

Defense attorneys requested a new trial on Feb. 19, saying the prosecution made improper statements to the jury and withheld information.

The request for a new trial was granted at his sentencing Wednesday, where Johnson faced up to 30 years in prison for second-degree murder.
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Oh, FGS!!!!

February 3, 2015

BALTIMORE, MD -- Multiple media outlets are reporting Michael Johnson has once again been indicted in the death of teenager from Monroe.

WBAL in Baltimore is reporting Phylicia Barnes' father confirmed that Michael Johnson has been indicted in again in his daughter's death.

Phylicia Barnes disappeared five years ago while visiting her sister in Baltimore. Her body was found in the Susquehanna River months later in April 2011. The cause of death was ruled as asphyxiation.

Michael Johnson, who was the ex-boyfriend of Barnes' sister, was convicted of second-degree murder about a year ago, but the judge threw the conviction out during sentencing after new evidence was presented.

A second trial ended in a mistrial in January, after prosecutors played a wiretap that contained material the judge ordered as inadmissible.

The Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office will hold a press conference Tuesday morning, where the formal announcement of Johnson's indictment is expected to be made.

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