Rushane Barnett pleads guilty, psychiatric evaluation was done

Rushane Barnett, the Cocoa Piece, Clarendon quintuple murder accused has pleaded guilty to killing all five of his relatives and will be sentenced on September 22.

His admission of guilt was made a short while ago in the home circuit court.

The court also heard that a psychiatric evaluation was done on Barnett and the findings were disclosed to the court administrators and his attorney.

Barnett’s attorney Tameka Harris has indicated that she wants to have further dialogue with the psychologist.

Barnett is charged with the gruesome murder of his cousin and her four children.

Justice Leighton Pusey presided over today's sitting.

Barnett, 23, appeared in court after it was initially said he would join via zoom.

The morning sitting was however pushed back after the prosecution asked for more time.

The deceased, thirty-one-year-old Kemesha Wright, Kimanda Smith, 15, Sharalee Smith, 12, Rafaella Smith, 5, and 23-month-old Kishawn Henry Jr, were discovered inside their Cocoa Piece home with chop wounds and their throats slashed on June 21.

Barnett who had been staying at the house fled the area to Wilson Run in Trelawny but was later apprehended in the parish. 

The killing has since sparked national outrage.

Meanwhile, Barnett was served with a death penalty notice on his very first court appearance.

Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn, in a press release, explained that under section 3(1) of the Offences Against the Person Act persons who are found guilty of multiple murders in one incident shall be sentenced to life in prison or to death.

At the same time, the Act notes that the death penalty cannot be imposed unless the defendant is given sufficient notice long before the start of the trial.

-Andre Williams

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