FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 18, 2018

PRESS RELEASE

Barker Sentenced to 35 Years to Serve for Second Degree Murder

FREDERICK- Garrett Barker, age 19, of Frederick, pled guilty to Use of Handgun in Crime of Violence and Second Degree Murder of his father, Kevin Barker. He was sentenced to 50 years, suspend all but 35 years to serve in the Division of Correction by Judge William R. Nicklas, Jr. Upon his release, he will be placed on 5 years supervised probation. The defendant will have to serve a minimum of 50 percent of his sentence before being eligible for parole, as he was convicted of crimes of violence.

On July 11, 2016, Frederick County Sherriff’s deputies responded to 8013 Runnymeade Drive for a reported suicide. The defendant called 911 and advised that his father had just killed himself. He told deputies his father had ALS and was only expected to live several more years. Deputies located the body of the victim, Kevin Barker, deceased in a chair with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. Deputies recovered a .380 Auto Ruger semiautomatic pistol and 1 fired cartridge case. Detectives inspected the scene and noted the body was undisturbed in a sleeping position and there were no signs of distress, trauma, or struggle. The case was initially closed as suicide.

On July 18, 2016, the investigation was reopened after new evidence was discovered by the Barker family. A friend of the defendant came forward and admitted that the defendant told her he shot his father in the head after he had panicked. The defendant thought that his father wanted him to pull the trigger and also feared that victim would shoot him. However, the defendant later confessed in an interview with detectives that he shot his father out of anger when his eyes were closed and placed the gun in the victim’s hand before leaving the room to call 911. Further investigation also revealed the defendant created a fake will on the victim’s laptop the morning after the murder which left all the victim’s personal belongings to the defendant.

The State was represented by Deputy State’s Attorney Dave Callahan and Assistant State’s Attorney Joyce Roldan King.

J. Charles Smith, III
State’s Attorney for Frederick County, Maryland