Donnell Brunson: Pennsylvania man arrested for alleged murder of girlfriend after failed suicide attempt

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA: Donnell Brunson, a 55-year-old Pennsylvania man driven by jealousy, was arrested after being accused of murdering his girlfriend, Danielle Barbuti, 49, allegedly due to suspicions of infidelity.

Following the alleged crime, Brunson then attempted suicide while lying next to her corpse in late November. The Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office has charged Brunson with one count each of criminal homicide and risking a catastrophe.

What did the tragic incident unfold?

The gruesome discovery was made on the evening of November 29, when Barbuti's sister found her lifeless body at an apartment on Luke Avenue in Scranton. Barbuti's face and head bore severe injuries, indicating a violent assault.

Initially charged with aggravated assault, Brunson's charges were upgraded to murder just three days later, following a chilling admission during the investigation.

“Brunson stated that he knew that he only had two choices at that point: leave and commit suicide or go to jail for the rest of his life,” detectives stated.

According to court documents Brunson and Barbuti had gone to sleep together the night before the incident. Allegedly fueled by suspicions of infidelity, Brunson unleashed a brutal assault on Barbuti upon waking at 7 a.m.

The assault involved multiple punches to her head and the use of objects such as a ceramic ashtray and a pillow to silence her screams.

Donnell Brunson's disturbing suicide attempt

Brunson, reportedly overwhelmed by guilt and despair, decided to end his own life. In a macabre sequence, he ingested a large number of sleeping pills, inflicted a self-inflicted wrist injury with an X-Acto knife, and attempted to cause an explosion by turning on the gas stove inside Barbuti’s apartment.

To the surprise of authorities, Brunson woke up around 4 p.m. to the sound of Barbuti’s sister calling her cell phone. Expressing astonishment that he was still alive, Brunson narrated his encounter with death as "how it was supposed to end."

Following his failed suicide attempt, Brunson quickly left the scene, covering Barbuti’s face with a blanket and washing away evidence. Barbuti’s sister, who was scheduled to babysit that day, made the harrowing discovery upon entering the apartment after receiving no response.

Upon police arrival, the apartment presented a gruesome scene with bloodied weapons, a handprint on the wall, and signs of a violent struggle. The Lackawanna County Coroner determined Barbuti’s cause of death as asphyxia.

Brunson's desire for death did not end with his departure from the crime scene. Police documents reveal his intent to seek another opportunity for suicide.

After purchasing sleeping pills and other items, he contemplated breaking into a mobile home where he had worked previously, hoping to provoke a lethal encounter with law enforcement.

“Brunson stated that if he were able to move, he would have jumped to initiate contact, resulting in police shooting him,” detectives stated, as per The Times-Tribune.

Tracked via cellphone records, Brunson was discovered in the mobile home, presenting a gruesome scene with blood-covered hands, a crimson-stained vehicle steering wheel, and a disturbing text message sent to Barbuti the night before.

Currently detained without bail in Lackawanna County Prison, Brunson is scheduled to appear in court on December 27.