Police in Georgia have jailed a man and woman in connection with the death and dismemberment of an Atlanta bartender.
Jail records reviewed by Law&Crime show that Mario Andre Barber, 46, and Brittany Amber Baker, 42, each face one count of murder in the death of 37-year-old Jamal Parker.
The investigation kicked off on May 15, after authorities discovered human remains in the Dog River Reservoir, a 256-acre recreational area and drinking-water lake roughly 30 miles west of Atlanta.
Investigators first traveled to the community after a discovery along Highway 166 in Douglasville. To help identify the deceased man, law enforcement released photos and renderings of a tattoo found on his body, according to a report by Atlanta-based ABC affiliate WSB.
Authorities said the Georgia Bureau of Investigation used DNA comparison analysis to identify Parker as the victim on June 15.
Prosecutors filed charges against Barber and Baker the following day. Details remain scarce, and law enforcement has not yet revealed how investigators linked the victim to the defendants.
The victim’s family, however, shed light on the case during and after a court hearing for the defendants earlier this week, WSB reported.
Parker’s father said a woman who once dated the victim called him after seeing the tattoo images shared on the news. The father then provided his own DNA to a detective, which eventually allowed law enforcement to identify the slain man. He also had words for the assailants.
“It’s the kind of stuff you see on TV,” the victim’s father told the TV station. “They had no remorse.”
The victim’s family also revealed the grim circumstances of Parker’s death, saying searchers found parts of his body in the reservoir.
“We can’t even have a regular funeral because of his condition,” the father continued.
The victim’s father described him as a well-known bartender who poured drinks at establishments across the Atlanta area, saying everyone loved him except his alleged killers.
Deputies believe the defendants killed Parker at a residence on Langdale Chase Street, WSB reported. Investigators reportedly spent four days searching the residence in late May and removed a reciprocating saw, cleaning supplies, and air fresheners.
At the time, Douglas County jail records show, authorities had already charged Barber and Baker with a litany of alleged crimes — both felony and misdemeanor — related to identity theft, forgery and drugs.
Arrest warrants state that the pair had stolen multiple driver’s licenses and manufactured IDs, license plates and license registrations.
It remains unclear how the defendants knew Parker, or whether the alleged forgery scheme connected to his killing in any way.
“The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office appreciates the public’s assistance and cooperation as investigators continue to pursue all leads in this case,” the law enforcement agency said.
For now, the victim’s family wants justice.
“I want them to be punished,” Parker’s father said. “And I don’t even think a life sentence is good enough.”
Leave a Reply