PHILADELPHIA. A jury unanimously declared yesterday that the bullets William Barnes fired into police Officer Walter Barclay during a botched 1966 robbery weren’t reason to find him guilty of Barclay’s death 41 years later.
Despite the not-guilty verdict, which was announced shortly after 3 p.m., the 74-year-old did not walk free. He still has to answer to the state Parole Board after allegedly carrying a cell phone and car keys without permission when arrested after Barclay’s 2007 death. A relative said he’d forgotten to report that he was driving again.
While Barnes’ attorney deemed the verdict “very gratifying,” the Barclay camp disagreed.
“We will continue to stand by [Barclay’s sister] Roslyn [Harrison] and will soon start our fight for the Parole Board” to keep him incarcerated on the violations, said local FOP President John McNesby, after ushering Harrison into a waiting police car.
Barnes’ eyes welled up when the jury foreman announced the verdict to which his niece, Diane Barnes, screamed, “Yes!” Harrison convulsed with tears. Before being escorted from the courtroom, Barnes, sporting a gray sweater and carrying a cane, thanked jurors and bellowed, “I love ya’s all” to supporters.
“I never really saw him show emotion before,” Barnes’ brother Jimmy said. “He’s had 50 years of hell. It’s time to heal and move on.”
Assistant district attorney Ed Cameron had tried to convince jurors the bullets Barnes fired set 41-year chain of events into motion that led to his life. Silver said the commonwealth fell short of proving an “unbroken chain of events.”
Now, Barnes and Silver’s attention turns to the looming Parole Board showdown.
“This could possibly grind on for another two years,” said Jimmy Barnes, “but we’ll do whatever we can do to get him home.”
