In what should have been a celebration of fatherhood, a Chesterfield, Virginia family was shattered by a tragic murder-suicide on Father's Day, June 15, 2014. Renotta Ingrid Jernigan, a 30-year-old female, was shot and killed by her husband, 35-year-old Barry C. Jernigan, who also murdered their two children before taking his own life.
The horrific events unfolded in the family's home in the McCormick Woods subdivision. Just eight days prior, Renotta had expressed her desire for a divorce, a decision fueled by her frustration with her husband's employment instability. This conversation appears to have been the catalyst for the tragedy that followed. On that Sunday, Barry Jernigan sent out a series of disturbing messages to friends and via his work email, hinting at his dark intentions and posting a final, ominous message on Facebook asking for prayers for his children.
Concerned friends who received these messages quickly contacted the police. However, by the time officers arrived at the Jernigan residence after 10 p.m., it was too late. As they approached, multiple gunshots rang out from inside the house. They discovered neighbors attempting to render aid to Renotta and her two-year-old son, Seth, who were both suffering from gunshot wounds in the front yard. Renotta died at the scene, and young Seth was rushed to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Upon entering the home, police found a devastating scene. Barry Jernigan and Renotta's nine-year-old daughter, Alexis Faith Kellas, were found dead from gunshot wounds. The investigation concluded that Barry Jernigan had shot his wife, son, and stepdaughter before turning the gun on himself. The case was closed as a murder-suicide, leaving a community to mourn the senseless loss of an entire family.
