In the quiet community of Waycross, Georgia, a grim discovery shattered the morning calm on Monday, July 11, 2022. Charles Madison Barnett, a 75-year-old man, and his life partner, 73-year-old Virginia D. Thomas, were found deceased in their home. A relative, upon entering the residence, made the harrowing find and immediately contacted law enforcement. Deputies from the Ware County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the scene, where they found the couple in their bed, both having sustained what appeared to be fatal gunshot wounds.
The nature of the scene prompted the Ware County Sheriff's Office to request the assistance of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to lead the death investigation. As news of the double homicide spread, a sense of unease settled over the tight-knit community, with friends and neighbors expressing their shock and disbelief. Barnett, a lifelong resident of Ware County and a former floor covering installer, was remembered by those who knew him as a man who enjoyed the simple pleasures of gardening and fishing. He and Thomas were described as a loving couple, often seen expressing affection for one another.
The investigation swiftly moved forward, and within a day, a significant development emerged. On Tuesday, investigators arrested Bernard Rittenhouse, the 55-year-old son of Virginia Thomas. The following day, his wife, 53-year-old Janet Rittenhouse, was also taken into custody. The arrests sent a new wave of shock through the community, as the focus of the investigation turned inward toward the victims' own family.
Bernard Rittenhouse was charged with two counts of felony murder and one count of burglary in connection with the deaths of his mother and her partner. His wife, Janet Rittenhouse, faced charges of two counts of felony murder and one count of party to the crime of burglary. Both were booked into the Ware County Jail. While a motive for the tragic killings was not immediately released by authorities, the arrests brought a swift, albeit somber, turn to the case, leaving a family and a community to grapple with the devastating loss.
