Patrick Barnett Faces Murder and Tampering Charges in Wife's Death

Patrick Barnett called 911 at 6 a.m. on August 13, telling dispatchers his wife, Lakewood art teacher Lindsey Barnett, had cut her throat. Police found her in the shower with a knife wound. The knife was in the shower with her.

But the arrest affidavit tells a different story. Evidence suggested Lindsey died on the bed before being moved to the shower. Patrick Barnett, 40, is now facing charges of murder and tampering with evidence.

The question is whether the "secret girlfriend" angle changes how locals view the couple, or if it’s just another detail in a messy domestic dispute. To hear the prosecution tell it, the affair is the key. A woman called police later that day requesting a welfare check for Patrick. She said they met online three months prior. She said Patrick told her he was in the process of divorcing Lindsey.

"She also said Patrick had told her that Lindsey did not live in their home anymore and was suicidal in the past," the affidavit notes.

Patrick Barnett’s version was simpler. He said they were working on their marriage. They had just returned from a trip to Scotland with a friend. He claimed there was no infidelity from either side. He said he was sleeping in the basement and hadn’t seen Lindsey since 10 p.m. the night before. He said he found her in the shower, checked her pulse, and called 911.

The physical evidence didn’t quite line up. Barnett had fresh injuries that looked like defensive wounds. He had blood on his neck and head that he couldn’t explain. He claimed some injuries were weeks old.

"As Ted was talking about finding Lindsey, he was audibly sobbing loudly, however there were no tears," police wrote in the affidavit.

Lindsey Barnett, 37, taught art at Westgate and Hutchinson elementary schools. The district announced her death less than a week before school started. Her parents told police the couple was having relationship problems. Lindsey’s mother said Patrick was "verbally abusive" but never physically abusive.

They also told police Patrick was gone a lot. He had been away in Scotland for five weeks before coming home. He immediately went on a camping trip the weekend before Lindsey’s death.

The First Judicial District Attorney’s Office filed three charges against Barnett on Wednesday. He is accused of murder and tampering with evidence and a body. The charges come after police pieced together the timeline: the call from the secret girlfriend, the conflicting stories about where Lindsey died, and the blood on Barnett’s neck.

Barnett admitted to the relationship in later interviews, though the affidavit cuts off before detailing the full extent of his confession. What remains is a picture of a man who told police he was alone in the basement, while another woman claimed he was ending his marriage.

The math holds up for the prosecution: a secret girlfriend who knew he was leaving, a body moved from bed to shower, and a husband with unexplained blood and injuries. Whether it’s murder or a self-inflicted wound covered up by grief is still an open question in court. But for the families of the teachers at Westgate and Hutchinson, the announcement of charges marks the end of the waiting game.