Brian Cohee Jr., a 21-year-old at the time of his arrest, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder and mutilation of 69-year-old Warren Barnes. This horrific crime occurred on February 27, 2021, when Cohee attacked and killed Barnes while he was sleeping.
Following the attack, Cohee dismembered Barnes and took parts of his body home, leading to the discovery of Barnes’s head and hands in his closet by Cohee’s parents.
Barnes, a homeless man, was well-liked in the downtown community of Grand Junction, known for his outgoing personality and his friends he made among the businesses he frequented. His death deeply affected the community, with many expressing their grief and shock at the loss of a kind, hardworking, and avid reader.
Key Facts
- Brian Cohee II was found guilty of first-degree murder and tampering with evidence in the case of Warren Barnes.
- Cohee’s plea of not guilty by insanity was contested by expert witnesses, leading to a guilty verdict.
- The case has sparked discussions about mental health, the legal concept of insanity, and the impact of such crimes on the community.
- Judge Richard Gurley sentenced Cohee to the rest of his natural life in prison plus 13.5 years without parole, reflecting the severity of the crime and the legal system’s response.
What Was Brian Cohee Arrested And Charged For?
Brian Cohee Jr., now 21 years old, faced arrest and charges for the brutal murder and dismemberment of 69-year-old homeless man Warren Barnes in Colorado in February 2021. The gruesome crime involved Cohee decapitating, dismembering, and mutilating Barnes’s body, with some body parts brought home where his mother made the horrifying discovery. Alongside Barnes’s head, his decomposing hands were found in a separate plastic bag hidden in Cohee’s wardrobe.
Cohee’s attempt to dispose of the remaining body parts led to his arrest on March 1, 2021, after his parents found evidence in his closet. He had tried to discard the body at the Blue Heron boat ramp, where his car became stuck in the Colorado River. In interviews and body camera footage, Cohee admitted to the murder, stating his curiosity about the act.
During his trial, beginning on January 17, 2023, Cohee pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. His defense cited diagnosed mental health disorders, including major depressive disorder, ADHD, and autism, compounded by environmental stressors, as factors leading to his insanity at the time of the murder. The prosecution countered with evidence suggesting premeditation and awareness of consequences.
The jury ultimately found Brian Cohee II guilty on multiple charges, including first-degree murder and tampering with a deceased human body. He received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Were There Any Witnesses Who Testified Against Cohee During His Trial?
During Brian Cohee’s trial, several witnesses testified, including an expert witness and individuals who had interacted with Cohee before the crime.
An expert witness, Paul Spragg, a psychologist, testified on behalf of the defense. Spragg performed an insanity evaluation on Cohee and concluded that Cohee was experiencing a major depressive episode with psychotic features at the time of the murder. He opined that Cohee was not legally sane when he killed Barnes, as he was not capable of distinguishing right from wrong due to his mental disease or defect at the time of the crime.
Spragg noted that Cohee had experienced such episodes dating back to 2018 and was not taking medication to control intrusive thoughts at the time of the murder. He also highlighted that Cohee understood the consequences of killing before and after the homicide, indicating that he was aware of the rules and their implications.
Horrifying moment police arrested a 19-year-old who murdered a homeless man and stored his head and hands in his closest.
— ??hi??iຖ໐iˢ (@chiIIum) April 1, 2024
Brian Cohee, now 21, from Colorado, murdered 69-year-old homeless man Warren Barnes, in 2021. https://t.co/Hs2qAWQjb0 pic.twitter.com/TtYKjANjYx
The defense also called a family doctor, Dr. Craig Gustason, and a therapist, Bea Phillips, to testify. Dr. Gustason had been treating Cohee for depression since he was 15 and testified that Cohee was not suicidal, except for a brief period in 2018. He also noted that Cohee was not psychotic at the time of his last visit for an infected abscess. Bea Phillips, who had been working with Cohee since 2017, shared that Cohee had made remarks indicating he understood right from wrong, including discussions about Darwinism and bullying a young girl to trigger her PTSD. She also mentioned Cohee’s ambivalence about the death of his uncle.
Cohee’s mother, Terri Cohee, also testified, providing insight into her son’s mental health, including his diagnoses of autism, ADHD, and anxiety, and his fascination with morbidity. She recalled finding a “kill kit” in her son’s backpack, which included zip ties, a hammer, and duct tape, and mentioned his interest in becoming a crime scene investigator after watching “The Silence of the Lambs”.
These witnesses provided a range of perspectives on Cohee’s mental state, behavior, and the context of his actions leading up to the murder. Their testimonies were crucial in shaping the defense’s argument that Cohee was not legally sane at the time of the crime due to his mental health disorders and the influence of a psychotic episode.
