Murder of Warren Barnes
| Murder of Warren Barnes | |
|---|---|
 Photo of Warren Barnes | |
| Location | Grand Junction, Colorado, U.S. |
| Date | February 27 – March 1, 2022 |
Attack type | Murder, stabbing, dismemberment |
| Weapon | Knife |
| Victim | Warren Barnes |
| Perpetrator | Brian Cohee |
| Verdict | Guilty |
| Convictions |
|
| Judge | Richard Gurley |
| Sentence | Life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for murder, 13.5 years for evidence tampering |
Warren Barnes (May 19, 1951 – February 27, 2021)[1] was a 69-year old homeless man who was living in Grand Junction, Colorado, United States. He was murdered and dismembered on February 27, 2021, by Brian Cohee while he was sleeping near Crosby Avenue below a highway bridge. Cohee confessed to the police and was arrested on March 1, 2021. On February 3, 2023, he was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Background
[edit]Victim
[edit]Warren Barnes was a 69-year old homeless man living in the city of Grand Junction, Colorado. He was known around the downtown community to read books and sit on a chair most of his time near Monique's Bridal, a wedding shop in downtown Grand Junction. He was named "The Reading Man" by some of the storeowners due to his big interest in books.[2][3] People described Warren as a "gentle" and "quiet" individual. The merchants and employees of nearby stores gave him books, occasional pastries, peaches, and drinks.[2][4]
Perpetrator
[edit]Brian Cohee was a 19-year-old man at the time of the murder.[5] Prior to the murder, Cohee was experiencing mental problems and persistent thoughts about murder.[6][7] During his interrogation, he said that he wanted to kill a homeless person or a prostitute, believing that their disappearance would go unnoticed by people.[7] He was also routinely driving around at night watching homeless camps.[8] Cohee was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of five.[9] In 2019, his mother took him to the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation hospital where doctors diagnosed him with autism.[10] In 2018, he killed a cat and kept its head in his house for three days before discarding it.[11] Due to his alleged fascination with serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, Cohee was nicknamed "Dahmer" at the high school he attended.[12]
Murder
[edit]On March 1, 2021, at approximately 1:48 p.m. a 911 call was made from Cohee's parents to report a decomposing human head and hands in his room's closet while they were cleaning it.[13][14] As police officers arrived at their house, Brian Cohee approached them and immediately confessed to murdering Barnes, stating: "I've always wondered what murder felt like".[15][16] He also told officers the victim's name, the weapon used to kill him, and the location of the murder.[7]
Cohee was detained and taken to the police station for interrogation. He told the interrogator that as he was driving around on February 27, he saw Warren sleeping on the ground. He exited his car, put on three layers of gloves, and started repeatedly stabbing Warren with a knife. According to him, before he died, Warren was yelling, "What are you doing, why, why?" in a panic.[6] He also described himself as "growling" and making "animalistic noises" as he was stabbing Warren.[7] After killing him, he cut off his hands and head and placed them into plastic bags before putting them in his car. He drove them home and hid them, he cleaned the knife and his car from blood and went to sleep.[17][18] Cohee compared himself to serial killer Edmund Kemper.[19] He confessed to traveling back to the crime scene and unsuccessfully attempting to dispose the remaining body parts by placing them in the trunk of his car and dumping them into the Colorado River, flooding his car in the process.[7][17] His car was towed out of the water by the police department, and Cohee was allowed to leave the scene without suspicion.[20][7] He also confessed to taking pictures of Warren's body before deleting them "because they were evidence". The pictures were later recovered from his phone by the authorities.[19] After the end of the interrogation, he was arrested and transported to the Mesa County Detention Facility on three charges.[14]
Trial
[edit]Cohee's trial started on January 17, 2023. He was charged with first degree murder, tampering with a deceased human body and tampering with evidence. He pleaded not guilty by the reasons of insanity. His attorneys argued that he murdered Barnes because he was driven insane by his diagnosed mental health conditions, which included major depressive disorder, autism, and ADHD, as well as environmental stressors.[21][22] The prosecution, on the other hand, argued that Cohee had confessed to planning to murder someone, specifically a homeless person, months prior to the murder and that he attempted to get rid of Barnes's body, proving that he understood consequences of his actions.[21][10] Testimonies from his therapist, family doctor, and psychologist were presented during the trial.[9] On February 3, 2023, a jury found Cohee guilty on all three charges.[23] Later, the judge sentenced Cohee to life in prison without possibility of parole for murder and 13.5 years for evidence tampering charges.[24][25]
As of 2025, Cohee is 22 years old. He is incarcerated at the Buena Vista Correctional Facility in Colorado Springs, where he is likely to spend the rest of his life.[11]
Aftermath
[edit]In November 2021, a metal memorial statue for Warren was constructed by Tim Navin near the shop where he used to spend most of his time. The statue is a replica of the chair he sat in.[26][4]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ "Warren Barnes". Eagle Walley Library District.
- ^ a b ""The reading man" of Grand Junction was killed by a stranger. His friends in downtown aren't done telling his story". Colorado Sun. May 4, 2021.
- ^ "Who is Brian Cohee and what did he do?". Yahoo Entertainment. March 26, 2024.
- ^ a b "The alleged killer thought no one would miss him. But the "reading man" has been missed — and now memorialized". Colorado Sun. November 22, 2021.
- ^ "True crime fans "unable to sleep" after watching Brian Cohee documentary". March 25, 2024.
- ^ a b "Chilling moment teenager admitted to having a man's severed head and hands in bedroom caught on police body camera". Ladbible. January 5, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f "US Teen Hid Head Of Homeless Man He Murdered In Closet To Satisfy "Fascination With Morbid"". ndtv. April 1, 2024.
- ^ "19-year-old Brian Cohee II pleads not guilty by reason of insanity to murder and decapitation of homeless man". KKCO 11. January 22, 2022.
- ^ a b "The Troubling Case of Brian Cohee: A Journey from Troubled Youth to Heinous Crime". Criminal. August 18, 2024.
- ^ a b "Brian Cohee: How Was the Convicted Killer Caught?". Coming Soon Net. April 5, 2024.
- ^ a b "Warren Barnes Murder: Where is Brian Cohee Now?". TheCinematholic. October 2, 2024.
- ^ "19-year-old pleads not guilty by reason of insanity to killing, decapitating, and dismembering homeless man". True Crime News. January 19, 2022.
- ^ "Where is Brian Cohee now and who was his murder victim, Warren Barnes?". March 30, 2024.
- ^ a b "Human Remains Found in Plastic Bag, Colorado Teen Charged With Murder". Newsweek. March 3, 2021.
- ^ "Chilling moment killer confessed to storing victim's severed head in his closet". The Independent. April 2, 2024.
- ^ "Did a Colorado mom really find a human head and hands in a closet? The Brian Cohee Jr. case explained". WGTC. April 1, 2024.
- ^ a b Law&Crime Network (2024-12-29). Mom Finds Severed Head in Her Son's Room. Retrieved 2025-01-09 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Mum of teen, 19, who murdered homeless man found severed head in his closet". The Mirror. April 1, 2024.
- ^ a b "Terrifying Bodycam Footage Shows Teen Calmly Confesses to Murdering Decapitated Unhoused Man". Toofab. January 4, 2024.
- ^ Law&Crime Network (2024-12-29). Mom Finds Severed Head in Her Son's Room. Retrieved 2025-01-10 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b "Cohee found guilty". Mesa County. February 4, 2023.
- ^ "The Brian Cohee trial continues". January 23, 2023.
- ^ "Brian Cohee is found guilty of all charges". Westernslope. February 3, 2023.
- ^ "The People V Brian Cohee: Sentencing Hearing". Westernslope. February 6, 2023.
- ^ "Brian Cohee case featured on podcast". The Daily Sentinel. March 29, 2024.
- ^ "'And You Also': Memorial in Grand Junction honors beloved community member Warren Barnes". Rocky Main PBS. December 10, 2021.