Richard Barrett (1943 – April 22, 2010) was an American lawyer, white nationalist, and self-proclaimed leader in the nationalist Skinhead movement. Barrett was a speaker and editor of the All The Way monthly newsletter. He was general counsel of the Nationalist Movement, which he founded in Mississippi.
Barrett was found dead in his home on April 22, 2010, in Rankin County, Mississippi, after reports of his house being on fire. Sheriff Ronnie Pennington said the death was being investigated as a homicide, as he was apparently stabbed. Pennington also said that the murder was not racially motivated. Vincent Justin McGee, 22, was arrested on April 22.
Three more arrests were subsequently made. In his confession, McGee alleged that Barrett had made sexual advances to him, sending him into a rage. McGee also said that at the time he murdered Barrett, he was not aware of the fact that Barrett was a white supremacist.
-------------
Man gets 65-year term in slaying of supremacist Barrett
by Jerry Mitchell
From: The Clarion Ledger, July 28, 2011
Prosecutors predicted Vincent McGee won't live long enough to walk free after he was sentenced to 65 years behind bars for killing white supremacist Richard Barrett.
His plea Thursday means he avoided a trial that could have been one of the most watched in recent years in Rankin County because of its mixture of race, sex and violence.
McGee, who is black, had told authorities that Barrett made a sexual advance, and Barrett's alleged behavior sparked the violence.
McGee, 23, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the April 21, 2010, killing of Barrett. He also pleaded guilty to arson and burglary.
Circuit Judge William E. Chapman III gave McGee all maximum sentences in keeping with the plea bargain - 20 years for manslaughter, 20 years for arson and 25 years for the burglary. The sentences are consecutive.
Under Mississippi law, he would not be eligible for parole until after he serves 85 percent of his time.
Even if McGee gets out early for "good time," the soonest he would go free would be at age 75, District Attorney Michael Guest said. "It's unlikely he'll leave prison."
In preparation for trial, prosecutors considered what jurors might do with the case, he said. "We felt it was a real possibility the jury would return with a manslaughter verdict versus murder or capital murder."
He acknowledged the trial would have garnered attention because of the circumstances.
On Wednesday afternoon, he learned the defense had accepted the plea bargain.
In court Thursday, authorities detailed the case, saying McGee admitted he stabbed and beat to death Barrett, whose body was discovered April 22, 2010, after neighbors saw smoke coming from his house in Rankin County.
Guest said the fire was set to cover up the killing and that one expert matched Barrett's blood to a knife authorities found.
The district attorney said McGee's mother, Tina, and stepfather, Alfred Lewis, were expected to testify that McGee admitted to them he killed Barrett.
Because the couple cooperated with authorities, no indictments were sought against them, Guest said.
Wearing chains and a grungy yellow jumpsuit that read Rankin County, McGee acknowledged Guest's details of the case were accurate.
McGee's friend, Michael Dent, who pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact, received five years in prison.
Born in New York City, Barrett fought in the Vietnam War and had received two Purple Hearts, family members said. After the war, he moved to Mississippi and founded the Nationalist Movement, a white supremacist organization based in Learned.
Over the years, his organization had regularly bashed gays and those of African descent.
Yet Barrett befriended McGee shortly after McGee's Feb. 23, 2010, release from prison after serving five years of a six-year sentence for simple assault on a police officer and grand larceny.
Barrett hired McGee to do yard work and also helped McGee set up a Facebook page, even taking photographs of McGee for the page.
On the evening of April 21, 2010, McGee went to Barrett's Pearl-area home to use the Internet.
In his first statement to authorities, McGee said while he was there, Barrett dropped his pants and asked McGee to perform a sex act. In response, McGee said he stabbed Barrett "until he quit moving."
McGee later returned and burned the body and house.
Firefighters responding to the fire found Barrett's body. One of his wrists had been tied with a belt.
An autopsy showed 16 stab wounds to Barrett, blunt-force injuries to the head and burns over a third of his body.
McGee's attorney has previously said his client acted in self-defense, but authorities said no defensive wounds were found on Barrett, suggesting there was no attempt to defend himself.
In subsequent statements to authorities, McGee said a dispute over pay for yard work was what had escalated into a violent argument.
Barrett's sister, Robin, said she couldn't imagine her brother making an advance toward anyone black because of how prejudiced he was toward African Americans.
She called the killing senseless, saying her brother "wouldn't harm anybody."
Barrett was found dead in his home on April 22, 2010, in Rankin County, Mississippi, after reports of his house being on fire. Sheriff Ronnie Pennington said the death was being investigated as a homicide, as he was apparently stabbed. Pennington also said that the murder was not racially motivated. Vincent Justin McGee, 22, was arrested on April 22.
Three more arrests were subsequently made. In his confession, McGee alleged that Barrett had made sexual advances to him, sending him into a rage. McGee also said that at the time he murdered Barrett, he was not aware of the fact that Barrett was a white supremacist.
-------------
Man gets 65-year term in slaying of supremacist Barrett
by Jerry Mitchell
From: The Clarion Ledger, July 28, 2011
Prosecutors predicted Vincent McGee won't live long enough to walk free after he was sentenced to 65 years behind bars for killing white supremacist Richard Barrett.
His plea Thursday means he avoided a trial that could have been one of the most watched in recent years in Rankin County because of its mixture of race, sex and violence.
McGee, who is black, had told authorities that Barrett made a sexual advance, and Barrett's alleged behavior sparked the violence.
McGee, 23, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the April 21, 2010, killing of Barrett. He also pleaded guilty to arson and burglary.
Circuit Judge William E. Chapman III gave McGee all maximum sentences in keeping with the plea bargain - 20 years for manslaughter, 20 years for arson and 25 years for the burglary. The sentences are consecutive.
Under Mississippi law, he would not be eligible for parole until after he serves 85 percent of his time.
Even if McGee gets out early for "good time," the soonest he would go free would be at age 75, District Attorney Michael Guest said. "It's unlikely he'll leave prison."
In preparation for trial, prosecutors considered what jurors might do with the case, he said. "We felt it was a real possibility the jury would return with a manslaughter verdict versus murder or capital murder."
He acknowledged the trial would have garnered attention because of the circumstances.
On Wednesday afternoon, he learned the defense had accepted the plea bargain.
In court Thursday, authorities detailed the case, saying McGee admitted he stabbed and beat to death Barrett, whose body was discovered April 22, 2010, after neighbors saw smoke coming from his house in Rankin County.
Guest said the fire was set to cover up the killing and that one expert matched Barrett's blood to a knife authorities found.
The district attorney said McGee's mother, Tina, and stepfather, Alfred Lewis, were expected to testify that McGee admitted to them he killed Barrett.
Because the couple cooperated with authorities, no indictments were sought against them, Guest said.
Wearing chains and a grungy yellow jumpsuit that read Rankin County, McGee acknowledged Guest's details of the case were accurate.
McGee's friend, Michael Dent, who pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact, received five years in prison.
Born in New York City, Barrett fought in the Vietnam War and had received two Purple Hearts, family members said. After the war, he moved to Mississippi and founded the Nationalist Movement, a white supremacist organization based in Learned.
Over the years, his organization had regularly bashed gays and those of African descent.
Yet Barrett befriended McGee shortly after McGee's Feb. 23, 2010, release from prison after serving five years of a six-year sentence for simple assault on a police officer and grand larceny.
Barrett hired McGee to do yard work and also helped McGee set up a Facebook page, even taking photographs of McGee for the page.
On the evening of April 21, 2010, McGee went to Barrett's Pearl-area home to use the Internet.
In his first statement to authorities, McGee said while he was there, Barrett dropped his pants and asked McGee to perform a sex act. In response, McGee said he stabbed Barrett "until he quit moving."
McGee later returned and burned the body and house.
Firefighters responding to the fire found Barrett's body. One of his wrists had been tied with a belt.
An autopsy showed 16 stab wounds to Barrett, blunt-force injuries to the head and burns over a third of his body.
McGee's attorney has previously said his client acted in self-defense, but authorities said no defensive wounds were found on Barrett, suggesting there was no attempt to defend himself.
In subsequent statements to authorities, McGee said a dispute over pay for yard work was what had escalated into a violent argument.
Barrett's sister, Robin, said she couldn't imagine her brother making an advance toward anyone black because of how prejudiced he was toward African Americans.
She called the killing senseless, saying her brother "wouldn't harm anybody."
Richard Barrett (1943 – April 22, 2010) was an American lawyer, white nationalist, and self-proclaimed leader in the nationalist Skinhead movement. Barrett was a speaker and editor of the All The Way monthly newsletter. He was general counsel of the Nationalist Movement, which he founded in Mississippi.
Barrett was found dead in his home on April 22, 2010, in Rankin County, Mississippi, after reports of his house being on fire. Sheriff Ronnie Pennington said the death was being investigated as a homicide, as he was apparently stabbed. Pennington also said that the murder was not racially motivated. Vincent Justin McGee, 22, was arrested on April 22.
Three more arrests were subsequently made. In his confession, McGee alleged that Barrett had made sexual advances to him, sending him into a rage. McGee also said that at the time he murdered Barrett, he was not aware of the fact that Barrett was a white supremacist.
-------------
Man gets 65-year term in slaying of supremacist Barrett
by Jerry Mitchell
From: The Clarion Ledger, July 28, 2011
Prosecutors predicted Vincent McGee won't live long enough to walk free after he was sentenced to 65 years behind bars for killing white supremacist Richard Barrett.
His plea Thursday means he avoided a trial that could have been one of the most watched in recent years in Rankin County because of its mixture of race, sex and violence.
McGee, who is black, had told authorities that Barrett made a sexual advance, and Barrett's alleged behavior sparked the violence.
McGee, 23, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the April 21, 2010, killing of Barrett. He also pleaded guilty to arson and burglary.
Circuit Judge William E. Chapman III gave McGee all maximum sentences in keeping with the plea bargain - 20 years for manslaughter, 20 years for arson and 25 years for the burglary. The sentences are consecutive.
Under Mississippi law, he would not be eligible for parole until after he serves 85 percent of his time.
Even if McGee gets out early for "good time," the soonest he would go free would be at age 75, District Attorney Michael Guest said. "It's unlikely he'll leave prison."
In preparation for trial, prosecutors considered what jurors might do with the case, he said. "We felt it was a real possibility the jury would return with a manslaughter verdict versus murder or capital murder."
He acknowledged the trial would have garnered attention because of the circumstances.
On Wednesday afternoon, he learned the defense had accepted the plea bargain.
In court Thursday, authorities detailed the case, saying McGee admitted he stabbed and beat to death Barrett, whose body was discovered April 22, 2010, after neighbors saw smoke coming from his house in Rankin County.
Guest said the fire was set to cover up the killing and that one expert matched Barrett's blood to a knife authorities found.
The district attorney said McGee's mother, Tina, and stepfather, Alfred Lewis, were expected to testify that McGee admitted to them he killed Barrett.
Because the couple cooperated with authorities, no indictments were sought against them, Guest said.
Wearing chains and a grungy yellow jumpsuit that read Rankin County, McGee acknowledged Guest's details of the case were accurate.
McGee's friend, Michael Dent, who pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact, received five years in prison.
Born in New York City, Barrett fought in the Vietnam War and had received two Purple Hearts, family members said. After the war, he moved to Mississippi and founded the Nationalist Movement, a white supremacist organization based in Learned.
Over the years, his organization had regularly bashed gays and those of African descent.
Yet Barrett befriended McGee shortly after McGee's Feb. 23, 2010, release from prison after serving five years of a six-year sentence for simple assault on a police officer and grand larceny.
Barrett hired McGee to do yard work and also helped McGee set up a Facebook page, even taking photographs of McGee for the page.
On the evening of April 21, 2010, McGee went to Barrett's Pearl-area home to use the Internet.
In his first statement to authorities, McGee said while he was there, Barrett dropped his pants and asked McGee to perform a sex act. In response, McGee said he stabbed Barrett "until he quit moving."
McGee later returned and burned the body and house.
Firefighters responding to the fire found Barrett's body. One of his wrists had been tied with a belt.
An autopsy showed 16 stab wounds to Barrett, blunt-force injuries to the head and burns over a third of his body.
McGee's attorney has previously said his client acted in self-defense, but authorities said no defensive wounds were found on Barrett, suggesting there was no attempt to defend himself.
In subsequent statements to authorities, McGee said a dispute over pay for yard work was what had escalated into a violent argument.
Barrett's sister, Robin, said she couldn't imagine her brother making an advance toward anyone black because of how prejudiced he was toward African Americans.
She called the killing senseless, saying her brother "wouldn't harm anybody."
Barrett was found dead in his home on April 22, 2010, in Rankin County, Mississippi, after reports of his house being on fire. Sheriff Ronnie Pennington said the death was being investigated as a homicide, as he was apparently stabbed. Pennington also said that the murder was not racially motivated. Vincent Justin McGee, 22, was arrested on April 22.
Three more arrests were subsequently made. In his confession, McGee alleged that Barrett had made sexual advances to him, sending him into a rage. McGee also said that at the time he murdered Barrett, he was not aware of the fact that Barrett was a white supremacist.
-------------
Man gets 65-year term in slaying of supremacist Barrett
by Jerry Mitchell
From: The Clarion Ledger, July 28, 2011
Prosecutors predicted Vincent McGee won't live long enough to walk free after he was sentenced to 65 years behind bars for killing white supremacist Richard Barrett.
His plea Thursday means he avoided a trial that could have been one of the most watched in recent years in Rankin County because of its mixture of race, sex and violence.
McGee, who is black, had told authorities that Barrett made a sexual advance, and Barrett's alleged behavior sparked the violence.
McGee, 23, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the April 21, 2010, killing of Barrett. He also pleaded guilty to arson and burglary.
Circuit Judge William E. Chapman III gave McGee all maximum sentences in keeping with the plea bargain - 20 years for manslaughter, 20 years for arson and 25 years for the burglary. The sentences are consecutive.
Under Mississippi law, he would not be eligible for parole until after he serves 85 percent of his time.
Even if McGee gets out early for "good time," the soonest he would go free would be at age 75, District Attorney Michael Guest said. "It's unlikely he'll leave prison."
In preparation for trial, prosecutors considered what jurors might do with the case, he said. "We felt it was a real possibility the jury would return with a manslaughter verdict versus murder or capital murder."
He acknowledged the trial would have garnered attention because of the circumstances.
On Wednesday afternoon, he learned the defense had accepted the plea bargain.
In court Thursday, authorities detailed the case, saying McGee admitted he stabbed and beat to death Barrett, whose body was discovered April 22, 2010, after neighbors saw smoke coming from his house in Rankin County.
Guest said the fire was set to cover up the killing and that one expert matched Barrett's blood to a knife authorities found.
The district attorney said McGee's mother, Tina, and stepfather, Alfred Lewis, were expected to testify that McGee admitted to them he killed Barrett.
Because the couple cooperated with authorities, no indictments were sought against them, Guest said.
Wearing chains and a grungy yellow jumpsuit that read Rankin County, McGee acknowledged Guest's details of the case were accurate.
McGee's friend, Michael Dent, who pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact, received five years in prison.
Born in New York City, Barrett fought in the Vietnam War and had received two Purple Hearts, family members said. After the war, he moved to Mississippi and founded the Nationalist Movement, a white supremacist organization based in Learned.
Over the years, his organization had regularly bashed gays and those of African descent.
Yet Barrett befriended McGee shortly after McGee's Feb. 23, 2010, release from prison after serving five years of a six-year sentence for simple assault on a police officer and grand larceny.
Barrett hired McGee to do yard work and also helped McGee set up a Facebook page, even taking photographs of McGee for the page.
On the evening of April 21, 2010, McGee went to Barrett's Pearl-area home to use the Internet.
In his first statement to authorities, McGee said while he was there, Barrett dropped his pants and asked McGee to perform a sex act. In response, McGee said he stabbed Barrett "until he quit moving."
McGee later returned and burned the body and house.
Firefighters responding to the fire found Barrett's body. One of his wrists had been tied with a belt.
An autopsy showed 16 stab wounds to Barrett, blunt-force injuries to the head and burns over a third of his body.
McGee's attorney has previously said his client acted in self-defense, but authorities said no defensive wounds were found on Barrett, suggesting there was no attempt to defend himself.
In subsequent statements to authorities, McGee said a dispute over pay for yard work was what had escalated into a violent argument.
Barrett's sister, Robin, said she couldn't imagine her brother making an advance toward anyone black because of how prejudiced he was toward African Americans.
She called the killing senseless, saying her brother "wouldn't harm anybody."
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
