Did Barton murder suspects turn on each other?

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, December 17, 2013

In court records obtained by The Star-News, one of the four suspects charged in the 1994 murder of a Heath convenience store owner was also indicted for allegedly terrorizing a fellow suspect.

At a Friday press conference announcing the arrests of Eugene Wallace Black, Sheila Brooks and Sheila Walker for the killing of James “Nibby” Barton nearly 20 years ago, District Attorney Walt Merrell also disclosed that Black was facing the additional charges of burglary III and domestic violence II.

Court records show that Black was indicted for allegedly entering the home of the fourth murder suspect, his former girlfriend, Sandra Ellison Lynn, and being “direct(ly) abusive” by “obscene language or mak(ing) an obscene gesture towards Lynn.”

The indictment did not state when the incidents occurred; however, Merrell said Monday the incident is not connected to the Barton murder case.

Lynn was arrested Sunday afternoon and is charged with murder and first-degree robbery, as well as one count of negotiating a worthless instrument in a separate case. She is being held on a $1.003 million bond.