Local & State Headlines

Police find link in Barbre, Camp murder suspects

• Police say they are downplaying the possibility that John Barbre was killed because of his role as a witness in a high-profile murder case.

J.D. Sumner

ALBANY — As police bolster their case against two Albany men they believe killed John Barbre, information obtained Thursday reveals a link between one of the suspects and a man charged in the Jack Camp murder case — a case Barbre was set to testify in, authorities said.

Marquis Kentrell Barney, 20, was charged Thursday with murder in the death of Barbre, who died days after being found by two Dougherty High Students at the Tallulah Massey Library in February.

According to family members and prosecutors, Barbre was a witness to the murder of Jack Camp, a prominent figure in the public safety ranks, who was killed outside the Regency Club Apartments March 1, 2007.

Three people — Christopher Leon Ingram, Dontravious Wilson and Darrell Anderson — were charged and later indicted in Camps’ murder.

In court records obtained Thursday, Ingram and Barney were both arrested, charged and indicted for lying to police in connection with the Camp murder.

According to that indictment, Count 1 alleges that Barney “made a false statement to police in connection with the Jack Camp murder investigation” on March 19, 2007. Count 2 alleges the same offense for Ingram, who was later charged with Camp’s murder.

During a press conference at the Albany Police Department Thursday morning, police officials said they were still piecing together a motive for Barbre’s killing, saying it possibly was a robbery. They downplayed the possibility that he was killed because of his desire to testify against the (Camp) murder defendants.

“We have not been able to prove that Barbre’s being a witness in the Camp case led to his death,” APD Spokesperson Phyllis Banks said.

Barbre’s family says they believe he was targeted because of his desire to help the community.

“What I believe happened is his murder was involved with the connection to him being a witness to the Camp murder that happened in his apartment complex,” his daughter, Megan Barbre, told The Herald.

Megan Barbre said that in the weeks before her father’s death he had become concerned with making copies of all of his vital documents and sharing his final wishes in case something happened to him.

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