James Antonio Barnes: The Memphis Serial Killer
Overview
James Antonio Barnes was an American serial killer responsible for a series of shootings in Memphis, Tennessee, during the late summer and fall of 1988. Barnes attacked at least five people associated with sex work, killing three and seriously wounding two others. The attacks occurred in different parts of Memphis but shared important similarities: the victims were picked up from street locations, transported in Barnes's gray Hyundai, taken to relatively isolated areas, and shot with a .32-caliber semiautomatic pistol.
The killings alarmed Memphis investigators because they appeared to involve a single offender repeatedly targeting similar victims and then allowing time to pass between attacks. By November 1988, police publicly described the crimes as serial murders. Barnes eventually confessed to the three homicides and the two nonfatal shootings. Investigators also examined whether he might have been responsible for four additional killings in Memphis and Detroit, although he was never convicted of those crimes.
Early Life and Criminal History
James Antonio Barnes was born on April 27, 1944, in Detroit, Michigan. Accounts of his background describe a highly troubled childhood and a long history of psychological and behavioral difficulties. Barnes later claimed that he had been abused by his parents and described unusual and severe punishments during his childhood. As an adult, he received treatment at institutions in several states for problems that reportedly included depression, hallucinations and substance abuse.
Barnes also developed a criminal record before the Memphis murders. His earlier offenses included a bank robbery in Detroit. After serving prison time, he reportedly worked for General Motors before losing his job. He eventually moved to Memphis and lived in the Parkway Village area.
The 1988 Memphis Murders
Barnes's confirmed series of killings began in August 1988. Investigators determined that the victims had been shot with the same type of weapon, and the circumstances surrounding the crimes gradually revealed a pattern. Barnes was known to drive a gray 1986 Hyundai, and investigators later concluded that he used the vehicle to pick up victims before taking them to locations where he attacked them.
The victims were generally approached in areas of Memphis associated with street prostitution, including the vicinity of Fourth and Vance. Barnes would drive away with a victim and later shoot the person with a .32-caliber pistol. Three victims died, while Tony Lee Thompson and Eric Lewis survived and later became important witnesses against Barnes.
Confirmed Murder Victims
- Sharon Denise Moore, 25 – August 18, 1988 – Weakley Street, Memphis, Tennessee: Moore was found shot to death on Weakley Street. Her killing became particularly important to the later investigation because another man, Larry Eugene Ward, was initially charged in connection with her death. Barnes eventually confessed that he had killed Moore, leading authorities to clear Ward in the case.
- Loria Ann Deberry, 28 – October 5, 1988 – Carolina and Hernando area, Memphis, Tennessee: Deberry was picked up and taken to the area of Carolina and Hernando, where Barnes shot and killed her. Her death was later connected to Barnes through the developing pattern of shootings and the weapon recovered when he was arrested.
- Joyce M. Thomas, 37 – October 31, 1988 – West Peebles area, Memphis, Tennessee: Thomas was found shot to death in a field north of 295 West Peebles. Her murder, following the earlier killings and another shooting in which the victim survived, intensified police concerns that a serial offender was operating in Memphis.
The Shooting of Tony Lee Thompson
On October 25, 1988, between the murders of Loria Ann Deberry and Joyce Thomas, Barnes attacked 23-year-old Tony Lee Thompson. Thompson was taken to the area of 421 South Parkway West in Memphis and shot. Unlike the three murder victims, Thompson survived his injuries.
Thompson's survival eventually gave investigators something the homicide victims could not provide: an eyewitness who had personally encountered the gunman and lived to identify him. After Barnes was arrested, Thompson identified him as the person responsible for the shooting.
The Shooting of Eric Lewis
Barnes's final known attack occurred on November 5, 1988. Eric Lewis was picked up in the Fourth and Vance area and taken near the rear of 674 South Main Street. Barnes shot Lewis, but Lewis survived.
The Lewis shooting became the critical break in the investigation. A description of the automobile connected with the attack led police toward a gray Hyundai belonging to Barnes. Investigators began focusing closely on Barnes and placed him under surveillance.
The Investigation and Serial-Killer Task Force
By the time Joyce Thomas was murdered on October 31, Memphis police were examining the similarities between a growing number of shootings. Investigators from homicide and other specialized units began working together to determine whether the attacks were connected.
The victims had been targeted in similar circumstances, and a .32-caliber firearm appeared repeatedly in the investigation. The nonfatal shooting of Eric Lewis on November 5 provided investigators with the vehicle information they needed to move the investigation forward. Police traced the gray Hyundai associated with the attack to Barnes.
Arrest of James Antonio Barnes
Police placed Barnes under around-the-clock surveillance. Late on November 9 and into the early morning hours of November 10, 1988, officers attempted to stop him after he left his residence. Barnes fled in his automobile, beginning a pursuit through Memphis.
The chase ended near the Lorraine Motel area. Barnes abandoned his vehicle and attempted to flee on foot. During the pursuit, officers observed him discard a handgun. Police recovered the weapon and arrested Barnes at approximately 12:30 a.m. on November 10, 1988.
The recovered weapon proved to be one of the most important pieces of physical evidence in the case. Ballistics testing connected the .32-caliber pistol to the series of shootings being investigated. Police concluded that the firearm had been used in all five of the known attacks attributed to Barnes.
Confession
After his arrest, investigators questioned Barnes about the murders and shootings. Authorities announced that Barnes gave an oral confession admitting responsibility for the three homicides and the two aggravated assaults.
His confession included the murder of Sharon Denise Moore. Before Barnes's arrest, Larry Eugene Ward had been charged with second-degree murder in Moore's death. Barnes's admission changed the direction of that case, and the charge against Ward was dropped.
The two surviving victims also provided direct evidence. Tony Lee Thompson and Eric Lewis identified Barnes as the man who had attacked them. Their identifications, Barnes's confession and the ballistics evidence from the recovered pistol gave investigators several independent forms of evidence linking him to the series.
Other Murders Investigated
Authorities did not immediately assume that Barnes's criminal activity was limited to the three confirmed murders. Shortly after his arrest, police announced that he was being investigated in connection with four additional killings.
Two of those deaths involved additional homicide investigations in Memphis. Investigators also contacted authorities in Detroit regarding two killings there. Police learned that Barnes had been in Detroit during the period when those two victims were killed, and investigators were interested in similarities involving the use of a firearm.
The names of the additional victims were not consistently identified in publicly available reporting on Barnes's case, and no additional murder convictions resulted from those investigations. Consequently, Sharon Denise Moore, Loria Ann Deberry and Joyce M. Thomas remain the three confirmed homicide victims for whom Barnes was convicted.
Confirmed Nonfatal Victims
- Tony Lee Thompson, 23 – October 25, 1988 – 421 South Parkway West, Memphis, Tennessee: Thompson was shot but survived. He later identified Barnes as his attacker.
- Eric Lewis – November 5, 1988 – rear of 674 South Main Street, Memphis, Tennessee: Lewis was shot and survived. Evidence developed immediately after his attack helped investigators trace the gray Hyundai involved in the shootings to Barnes.
Questions About Barnes's Mental Condition
Barnes's psychological condition became a major issue after his arrest. His behavior and statements led to extensive arguments over whether he was mentally competent to stand trial. Barnes claimed that he experienced different personalities and suggested that another part of his personality was responsible for his violent acts.
At the time, the condition commonly known as multiple personality disorder was the subject of considerable medical and legal debate. The diagnosis is now generally known as dissociative identity disorder. Barnes's defense argued that his mental condition was genuine, while prosecutors questioned whether some of his behavior was exaggerated or deliberately performed to avoid prosecution.
Psychiatrist Dr. George B. Greaves examined Barnes for the defense and reported observing numerous separate personalities or personality states. Greaves reportedly identified as many as twelve. Barnes displayed unusual behavior during psychiatric evaluations and legal proceedings, adding to the prolonged dispute over whether he could meaningfully understand and participate in his defense.
Competency Proceedings
The questions surrounding Barnes's mental health delayed the murder prosecution for years. He underwent repeated psychiatric examination and spent substantial periods in mental-health facilities rather than proceeding immediately to trial.
Despite evidence that Barnes suffered from significant mental illness, the legal question was whether he understood the nature of the criminal proceedings and could assist his attorneys. In 1996, Barnes was ultimately found competent to stand trial, clearing the way for prosecutors to proceed with the three homicide cases.
Guilty Pleas and Sentencing
Instead of proceeding through a full murder trial, Barnes pleaded guilty in September 1997. Under an agreement with prosecutors, the homicide charges were resolved as three counts of second-degree murder rather than resulting in a trial in which Barnes could have faced the death penalty.
On September 5, 1997, Barnes received a sentence of 40 years in prison. The arrangement reportedly allowed the possibility of release after he had served the legally required portion of the sentence. He was housed within the Tennessee correctional system, including at the Lois M. DeBerry Special Needs Facility in Nashville, where inmates with significant medical or psychiatric needs could receive treatment.
Release from Prison
After serving years in Tennessee custody, Barnes was released from prison on April 10, 2016. His release did not change the historical classification of his crimes: he had confessed to and been convicted for three separate murders committed over a period of more than two months, with periods between the killings, as well as two additional shootings in which the victims survived.
Victim Summary
- Sharon Denise Moore, 25: Found shot to death August 18, 1988, on Weakley Street in Memphis.
- Loria Ann Deberry, 28: Killed October 5, 1988, in the Carolina and Hernando area of Memphis.
- Tony Lee Thompson, 23: Shot October 25, 1988, at 421 South Parkway West in Memphis; survived.
- Joyce M. Thomas, 37: Killed October 31, 1988, and found in a field in the West Peebles area of Memphis.
- Eric Lewis: Shot November 5, 1988, near 674 South Main Street in Memphis; survived.
Legacy of the Case
The James Antonio Barnes case demonstrated how a serial offender could target people whom he believed were unlikely to receive immediate public attention while continuing to move through the same city. The survival of two victims ultimately helped break that pattern. Their identifications, combined with observations surrounding Barnes's gray Hyundai, the recovery of his pistol, ballistics testing and his confession, allowed Memphis police to connect attacks that had initially appeared as separate violent crimes.
Barnes was conclusively held responsible for three murders: Sharon Denise Moore, Loria Ann Deberry and Joyce M. Thomas. Although investigators examined his possible involvement in four additional killings in Memphis and Detroit, those suspicions did not result in additional murder convictions. His confirmed crimes remain a concentrated series of killings and attempted killings carried out across Memphis between August and November 1988.
