Tina Marie Meyer, a 56-year-old woman from Jacksonville, NC, was tragically killed on September 19, 2016. The incident occurred at her residence on Old Maplehurst Road, where she was found unresponsive on the living room floor with an apparent gunshot wound to her left chest area. The Onslow County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene and discovered Tina Meyer’s boyfriend of many years, 53-year-old Terry Barnes, outside the residence in a Ford Explorer.
Inside the residence, they found Tina Meyer’s stepfather, Addison Riley.
The investigation revealed that the three individuals had been out drinking that night and upon returning from the Globe and Anchor Bar, Terry Barnes went into Addison Riley’s bedroom, grabbed a .410 shotgun, and returned to the living room. He pointed the weapon at Tina Meyer and shot her in front of Addison Riley. At the time of the shooting, Addison Riley was seated on a couch in the living room, and Tina Meyer was standing in front of him. After the shooting, Terry Barnes put the weapon back in Addison Riley’s bedroom and left the residence to sit in his vehicle.
Initially, Terry Barnes told Deputy Mark Hipple that Addison Riley had shot Tina Meyer, while Addison Riley indicated that Terry Barnes was the shooter. An investigation by the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office ultimately proved that Terry Barnes had shot and killed Tina Meyer. During the investigation, Terry Barnes admitted to shooting Tina Meyer, stating that he had been drinking and that alcohol played a part in what occurred. He claimed that he pointed the gun at Tina Meyer to prove a point, thinking the gun was unloaded.
Terry Barnes was charged with an open count of murder and was held without bond. The case went to trial as a first-degree murder case, but it ended in a mistrial with the jury deadlocked and unable to reach a unanimous verdict. On May 21, 2019, Terry Barnes entered an Alford plea to second-degree murder, which is a guilty plea in which a defendant maintains their innocence but admits that the prosecution's evidence would likely result in a guilty verdict if brought to trial. He was sentenced to a minimum of 168 months and a maximum of 214 months in the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.
