FL FL - Carol Ann Barrett, 18, found murdered following abduction in Daytona Beach, March 1980

[Onaliv]

I was sure this case was already posted on WS but cannot locate; if it’s a duplicate feel free to remove or whatever - this case needs to be solved! The composite sketch of suspect has a very distinctive mole on left cheek - if this guy committed other abductions or murders and was spotted this identifier would probably have been noted.

Content from Project Cold Case:

Cold Case Spotlight - Carol Ann Barrett

18-year-old, Carol Ann Barrett left Ohio with a group of friends bound for Daytona Beach in March of 1980. While enjoying spring break at the Treasure Island Hotel, an armed man forced his way into their hotel room. After robbing the friends the suspect took Carol with him to ensure the others wouldn't call police.

Carol’s body was later found on the side of Interstate-95 not far from the Jacksonville International Airport. Included in this spotlight are links to 2 news stories and a compsite rendering of the suspect. Please take a moment to read, like and share this story in hopes of reaching someone with information.

If you have any information on the unsolved murder of Carol Ann Barrett, please call the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office at (904) 630-0500. To remain anonymous and possibly be eligible for a $3,000 reward, call First Coast Crime Stoppers at (866) 845-TIPS.

Carol Ann Barrett – Project: Cold Case

 

[Catmommy]

What a horrible, sad sad story. There's no mention of sexual assault so preserved DNA evidence seems unlikely. So many questions about what became of this perp. And so much sadness and regret for poor Carol.

 

[Randazzo]

What a horrible, sad sad story. There's no mention of sexual assault so preserved DNA evidence seems unlikely. So many questions about what became of this perp. And so much sadness and regret for poor Carol.

There was SA. Hopefully they have DNA and can track him down.

 

[Catmommy]

That gives hope. Thank you for clearing that up for me.

 

[Onaliv]

This case really hits a nerve because “in my opinion” the perpetrator either had killed before this or has since, and just seems unlikely this was a one time shot; and to have confronted 8 girls in the hotel room was incredibly brazen! All that being said there’s such a strong chance this guy has been (or is) behind bars and could be tied to Carol’s death if the right person is able to connect the right dots.

It’s too bad that hotel security wasn’t what it is today with video cameras. It’s probably an obvious theory but I’d bet he had stalked the girls at the beach or pool etc., versus just happening upon them at 2am outside the room. It’s just such a tragic loss of a young life and the 7 survivors were undoubtedly scarred for life.

Regarding the question of there being SA there was an original news article online somewhere confirming that but whether that translates to there being DNA collected in 1980 I’m not sure. IF there is DNA maybe they can employ the latest technology to crack this like the East Area Rapist.

 

[Catmommy]

The sheer brazenness of the attack with so many victims is the most frightening part. I agree that it hardly sounds like his first time. And, in my opinion only, if it was his first time to kill (doubtful) it wasn't his only time to kill.

 

[Skully]

Is her crime in VICAP? If not, maybe the detective can put it in. The MO sounds familiar to another case. I am going to run it by our Detective here and see if he thinks it is worth calling JAX.

 

[Skully]

The composite looks like a guy in his twenties or early 30's. Does anyone know if the girls had any idea how old this guy was at the time of the attack? The detective I showed the article too doesn't think he looks like the person I had in mind, but sometimes witnesses and drawings can be off a bit.

 

[Betty P]

Well, if there's SA evidence to submit for DNA testing, I hope the Jacksonville police choose to do that. After so many years, it seems unlikely there's anyone who recognizes the perp. Not likely some random person is going to walk into the police station and solve the crime for police. Surely, this person had to have done something similar before.

The profile says the girls were headed for Daytona Beach. The murder happened in Jacksonville, FL. That's some distance from Daytona Beach. Were the girls still in transit to their destination? When did they leave home? Were there other stops they may have made on the way to Daytona Beach? What part of Ohio were these girls from?

There just seems to be a lot more information LE could provide to help others solve this case.

Ok, found more information at Newspapers.com

The girls were staying in a motel at Daytona Beach, so they had reached their destination. So, yes, it could have been someone hanging around looking for vulnerable girls to attack. I see from the newspaper story that Carol Ann was a high school student, so these girls were very young to make this trip on their own. That's probably why the killer chose them.

 

[Betty P]

Another clipping from the Palm Beach Post, a month after the murder. JMO, I get the impression from this article that the police didn't take the kids story seriously until Carol Ann's body was found by a hitchhiker a couple days later. By then, of course, they had lost some valuable time to catch the killer.

ETA: Reading some more, it says the police kept her friends there for a week questioning them before LE accepted that it was just a robbery and murder. Oh, wow. LE waited more than a week before using the composite sketch to look for the killer.

Page 2 of a previous New York Times article, printed in the Ft Lauderdale paper on April 12. Has a better composite of the killer, JMO.

 

[Betty P]

Here's what the Treasure Island Inn used to look like. It's closed now and has been demolished.

It looks like the hallways and entrances to the rooms were on the outside of the building. Carol Ann and her friend had stepped outside and were walking towards the elevators to take a walk when the killer confronted them and made them walk back to the room. (BTW, the boys on the trip were staying in a room 1 floor below. That night, they were partying in the girl's room when the robbery/kidnapping occurred.)

The hotel was probably filled with kids on spring break. You'd think some of them would have seen the red headed man with the beard and glasses lurking around. Too bad that LE took too long to treat it as a kidnapping. By the time they did, all the spring break vacationers had gone home.

I wonder if the killer worked there or knew someone who did?

 

[Onaliv]

Thanks for posting the news articles; first time I ever realized there were guys on this trip (I always assumed only Carol’s girlfriends we’re involved).

 

[Skully]

So according to the article, he was in his 20's and had reddish-brown hair and a long thin nose. That rules out who I was think of about for this crime. Thank you.

 

[Betty P]

Thanks for posting the news articles; first time I ever realized there were guys on this trip (I always assumed only Carol’s girlfriends we’re involved).

Yeah, that surprised me, too. I expected it was just a group of girls. But when you consider how the killer went about robbing and controlling them (he had a gun), it's understandable. He managed to convince these young folks that he just wanted to rob them and wouldn't harm them, so they went along and didn't try to fight him. He was experienced at this and had thought out in advance how he would control these kids.

From the description, it sounds like he watched Carol and her male friend standing outside the hotel room door. He planned when and where to intercept them (before they got on the elevator) and knew what to say to get the others to open the door. There were also many rooms around, above and below them. Anyone would have heard if they screamed for help. But he didn't attract any attention.

It would be really helpful to know if LE ever submitted any evidence for DNA testing and if it's been checked against other databases. IDK, but I have a hunch local LE were somewhat sensitive about how they handled this case and kind of wanted to put it behind them.

 

[Onaliv]

...but I have a hunch local LE were somewhat sensitive about how they handled this case and kind of wanted to put it behind them.

As someone who lived near Daytona Beach for many years I also think this case was handled less aggressively than it probably should have been, to avoid disrupting tourism in the area; I recall very little ongoing media attention on the anniversary of the events etc., which is also a shame because someone might very well know something helpful but without prompting will never get involved.

 

[Betty P]

As someone who lived near Daytona Beach for many years I also think this case was handled less aggressively than it probably should have been, to avoid disrupting tourism in the area; I recall very little ongoing media attention on the anniversary of the events etc., which is also a shame because someone might very well know something helpful but without prompting will never get involved.

Thanks for that feedback. It wouldn't be too unusual for local officials to be concerned about the affect on tourism. It was someone who deliberately targeted young, spring break tourists.

He seemed to have deliberately planned a way to rob them. Was he planning the rape, too? Had he not expected so many kids to be in the room that evening? Were police partly correct in suspecting he was someone who had just sold them some pot, then turned on them? If so, locals would have known his identity. If he'd done the robbery thing before, it's possible previous victims wouldn't have reported it to police. I wonder if he had an accent, meaning was he local or did he come in from out of town to target spring break students?

 

[Kell1]

Was she sexually assaulted?, I could only find an old newspaper article that said she was partially nude

 

[Betty P]

Was she sexually assaulted?, I could only find an old newspaper article that said she was partially nude

The third article linked in my post above (with photo of a group of her friends) says the ME determined she had sexual relations before she was killed. So, ideally, they should have evidence (DNA) if it was saved. Hope it was.

 

[Skully]

The third article linked in my post above (with photo of a group of her friends) says the ME determined she had sexual relations before she was killed. So, ideally, they should have evidence (DNA) if it was saved. Hope it was.

I would think it was saved, but the first problem is she was with a boy, and they have to rule out anyone that she was with that night, and this was before DNA. So now they have to go back and get DNA swabs to rule out any bf she had at the time. The next hurdle is, did the DNA degrade over time? And if not, do they have enough for a full profile. If not, it will not be entered into CODIS, it would be a partial, maybe mt/DNA, (Mother's side) and that would be a State database. So lots to consider. Also the testing for kits are expensive. And then there is the problem that he may not be in a DNA database if he was never arrested for a Felony when they were getting swabs from prisoners.

 

[Betty P]

I would think it was saved, but the first problem is she was with a boy, and they have to rule out anyone that she was with that night, and this was before DNA. So now they have to go back and get DNA swabs to rule out any bf she had at the time. The next hurdle is, did the DNA degrade over time? And if not, do they have enough for a full profile. If not, it will not be entered into CODIS, it would be a partial, maybe mt/DNA, (Mother's side) and that would be a State database. So lots to consider. Also the testing for kits are expensive. And then there is the problem that he may not be in a DNA database if he was never arrested for a Felony when they were getting swabs from prisoners.

Yes, hopefully they ruled out any consensual sexual activity prior to her kidnapping and murder. LE were usually able to rule that out, even back then, weren't they? As for expense of testing these cold case samples, it seems its worth it. Other LE departments are pursuing it and catching some of these killers. The recent arrest of Linda O'Keefe's killer revealed that James Alan Neal had continued to sexually assault young girls up until 2004. LE may find more recent cases.

Man Accused of Killing 11-Year-Old Girl in 1973 Is Linked to 2 Child Sex Assaults in SoCal: O.C. DA

Murderers in cold cases aren't always inactive or deceased, they're often alive and still out there harming people.
Carol Ann's killer would be in his early 60's today.