On March 23, 1980, 24-year-old Barrett, a woman from Ohio, USA, traveled to Daytona Beach, Florida, with her college friends. On the same day, she was abducted from the Daytona Beach Treasure Island Hotel by an unidentified person. The following day, Barrett's lifeless body was discovered in Jacksonville, Florida.
A subsequent autopsy revealed that Barrett had been shot in an "execution" style. The investigation into this case spanned several years. In 2017, investigators confirmed that Barrett had resigned to her fate during the abduction, making no attempts to save herself.
Based on information provided by Barrett's friends, a composite sketch was created, contributing to the ongoing investigation. In 2020, a police committee was formed to review all available evidence. The team concluded that the photo resembled Mansfield, who was already in custody for the murder of Deans. Mansfield, a convicted serial killer, had a history of sexual offenses.
In 1982, Mansfield received multiple life sentences for the kidnapping and murder of five women in California and Florida. Additional bodies were discovered buried in the backyard of his Florida home. Mansfield, currently serving four life sentences in a California prison, has confessed to Barrett's murder 44 years ago. Despite his admission, authorities have opted not to prosecute him for this specific case, as he continues to cooperate with investigators on other matters.
Almost 44 years after the tragic incident, the U.S. police have located the serial killer in prison, officially closing Barrett's case.