On February 16, 2024, James McKinley Barber, Sr., a 61-year-old resident of Largo, Florida, was found dead along with his brother, Wesley Barber, 62, of Kentucky. The brothers were discovered inside James Sr.'s home on Smoketree Court in unincorporated Largo after family members reported that they had failed to show up for a planned family vacation. Family concerns were heightened when they were unable to contact James Sr. and Wesley by phone and observed James Sr.'s car in the driveway with the trunk open.
Upon arriving at the scene, deputies found blood coming from under the front door of the residence. Both James Sr. and Wesley Barber had been shot multiple times. The investigation revealed that the incident appeared to be of a domestic nature, involving James McKinley Barber Jr., the son of James Sr. and the nephew of Wesley Barber. James Jr. was identified as the suspect and was described as a 28-year-old man, 6'2" tall, weighing about 160 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
Surveillance camera audio captured the murders, with multiple gunshots heard just after 6 a.m. followed by a subject, identified as James Jr., yelling expletives. James Jr. fled the scene before law enforcement arrived but was later arrested by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office on Saturday, February 17, 2024. He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and was pending transfer back to Pinellas County.
The family had expressed concerns about James Jr.'s mental health history and the presence of a gun in the house, which contributed to their alarm when they could not reach James Sr. and Wesley. The investigation is ongoing, and the victims' next of kin has been notified.
