Anthony Barra: Convicted burglar gets life in prison for beating, stabbing and dousing woman with gasoline in her trailer
TULARE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: A 27-year-old man with a criminal record of burglary and vandalism will spend the rest of his life behind bars for the brutal murder of a 74-year-old woman in California.
Anthony Barra was sentenced this week for killing Carol Hendon who was found dead in her burning trailer home after he beat, stabbed, and poured gasoline on her, Law and Crime reports.
How did Anthony Barra killed Hendon Hendon?
The horrific crime occurred on January 20, 2022, in Tulare, California, according to the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office.
It said that Barra broke into Hendon’s trailer home around 6.15 am and attacked her with a knife. He then doused her with gasoline and set fire to the trailer, leaving her to die in the flames.
He also rummaged through her car which was parked in the carport with the trunk open. Hendon’s neighbors alerted the police when they saw the trailer engulfed in flames.
Firefighters and paramedics arrived at the scene and discovered Hendon’s body inside the trailer. They also detected a strong smell of gas. An autopsy revealed that Hendon had suffered severe injuries from the beating and stabbing and was already dead before the fire started.
Anthony Barra's crime was captured on surveillance video
Barra’s crime was captured on surveillance video which showed him wearing dark clothes and carrying a red gas can.
He was seen entering and exiting the trailer several times, igniting and reigniting the fire. Witnesses also reported seeing him in the area around the time of the murder.
The police arrested Barra the next day when they responded to a call about a man loitering and making lewd comments at a store and had broken into a vehicle.
During the search, they found him in possession of lighters and a red gas can, and his clothes matched the ones seen in the video.
Deputies also found his DNA in Hendon’s car, which he had broken into. He was, however, initially charged with burglary, resisting an officer, and a probation violation.
“We have the video, forensic evidence — that I won’t mention what it is at his house — but his DNA evidence confirming he was at the scene sealed the deal for us,” Sgt Eddie Hinojosa of the Tulare Police Department told KFSN in 2022.
Anthony Barra confessed to the crime and gave 'intimate details' about it
However, when the detectives interrogated him, he confessed to the murder and gave “intimate details” about it, according to the district attorney’s office.
He was then charged with first-degree murder, aggravated arson, torture, and destroying or concealing evidence.
In September, he pleaded no contest to the murder charge, with the special allegation of using a deadly weapon and causing elder abuse resulting in death.
He also pleaded no contest to assaulting and battering custodial officers while in jail. He had previous convictions for burglary and vandalism.
Hendon’s family and neighbors were shocked and saddened by her death. Her sister, Betty Tilton, told local ABC that she could not believe what had happened to her.
“I couldn’t quite — I comprehended it but I couldn’t quite process it. It just seemed unbelievable,” she said.
Her neighbor, Jennifer Dowdy, told KMPH that she was relieved that Barra was caught and sentenced. “I’m just glad they caught the person who did it because she was a good person,” Dowdy said.
