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Former Massena Wellness Center director admits manslaughter; believed he was killing gov’t. agent, DA says

Posted 1/15/18

A former Massena Wellness Center program director on trial for a downstate murder pleaded to a reduced count just after a jury was selected. He is expected to be sentenced to 25 years in state prison …

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Former Massena Wellness Center director admits manslaughter; believed he was killing gov’t. agent, DA says

Posted

A former Massena Wellness Center program director on trial for a downstate murder pleaded to a reduced count just after a jury was selected.

He is expected to be sentenced to 25 years in state prison for the manslaughter charge and eight years for the menacing count, along with five years of post-release supervision, according to the Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 13 in front of Judge John Rowley in Tompkins County Court. Barkley is also waving his right to appeal as a condition of the plea. He will avoid the possibility of a life sentence that a murder conviction could carry.

He admitted killing 52-year-old William Schumacher on Dec. 8, 2016 in the Ithaca Walmart parking lot by shooting him with a .30-.06 rifle and running him over with his car. He also admitted firing a shot toward police after they chased Barkley to his Dryden home following Schumacher’s death.

Tompkins County District Attorney Matt Van Houten said Barkley was under the impression at the time of the homicide that Schumacher was a government agent who was after him.

“He said in court that he was having delusions that the victim, Mr. Schumacher, was a government agent who was coming to kill him … I don’t think anybody is going to be truly satisfied with the explanation, or that it will ever make logical sense,” Van Houten said in a phone interview.

“Anybody who hears about this case, from the first moment they hear about it, they understand mental health issues are part of these circumstances, so that was a consideration. Obviously lots of people think that means nothing. Legally it does have significance.”

Van Houten in a written statement issued Friday said they accepted the manslaughter plea because the evidence showed Barkley was suffering from an “extreme mental disturbance” at the time Schumacher was killed.

“I strongly believe that this plea is a measure of justice in what is a profoundly tragic case. The most important thing is that Justin Barkley will be sentenced to 25 years in state prison. We have to recognize that the defendant’s mental health played a major role in what took place,” Van Houten said in the announcement of Barkley’s plea.

“The acknowledgement by the defendant that he acted intentionally, together with the extensive investigation we conducted, including a full psychiatric evaluation by our own expert, support the conclusion that the defendant was suffering from what New York State law recognizes as an extreme emotional disturbance. We would not have permitted the defendant to plead guilty to manslaughter in the first degree without a guarantee that he would receive the maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.”

Barkley’s mental health issues caused the trial to be delayed for several months.

In March 2017, he was arraigned on the murder and menacing charges for the second time after having been found not able to participate in his defense. During his initial arraignment in December 2016, Barkley claimed in court to have intentionally killed then-president-elect, now President Donald Trump and tried to plead guilty. The judge refused to accept the plea and ordered a psychiatric evaluation. That led to him being confined to Mid-Hudson Psychiatric Center for a couple of months, where doctors later determined he was fit to stand trial.

Van Houten said he was satisfied with the plea, and Schumacher’s family agreed that it was an acceptable resolution.

“I am satisfied with the outcome in that we know he’s going to get 25 years and five years post release supervision and there was a level of acceptance of responsibility,” the DA said during the interview. “He pled guilty and acknowledged responsibility for his crimes, which is something you don’t always get if you go to trial.”

Van Houten in his prepared statement said a few words about the victim in the case.

“William Schumacher has been referred to in the media as a UPS driver but he was far more than that. William Schumacher was a family man, a loving father, grandfather, uncle, brother and faithful friend. William Schumacher was a good Samaritan and a devout Christian and his legacy will live on through all who knew him,” he said.

The New York State Office of Mental Health said Barkley, a Madrid-Waddington High School graduate, had resigned his position at the Massena Wellness Center prior to Schumacher’s alleged murder.

“Justin Barkley was not employed by the state of New York at the time of this incident. This former employee was a licensed master social worker from September 2008 until May 2016 at St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center, where his final position was program director of the Massena Wellness Center,” according to Ben Rosen, who at the time was the OMH Public Information Office director. “In May 2016, he voluntarily left St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center for a position with the Office of Children and Family Services.”

Barkley began working at The Office of Children and Family Services’ Finger Lakes Residential Center on May 4, 2016 and resigned effective Aug. 8, 2016, according to New York State Office of Children & Family Services officials.

Attorney Peter Dumas of Canton-based Dumas and Narrow, PC is representing Barkley. He did not return requests for comment.