Waverly man sentenced to life without parole in Pike County murder case

Pike County Prosecuting Attorney Michael A. Davis is pleased to report that Christopher Barfield, 50, of Waverly was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole by the honorable Rob Junk, Judge of the Pike County Court of Common Pleas, for the murder of a male victim and the attempted murder of a female victim in Piketon last year. 

The sentencing hearing was the result of a four-day jury trial that concluded on June 18, in which a Pike County jury convicted Barfield of all counts for causing the death of the male victim, attempting to cause the death of the female victim, and kidnapping the female victim.
 
This trial was from an incident that occurred at in Piketon during the early morning hours of Nov. 23. The state’s theory of the case was that Barfield held the female victim against her will to terrorize and assault her while holding her at gunpoint, including shooting into the floor. After several hours of being held against her will, the female victim saw her opportunity to exit and rushed to the door while the male victim attempted to intervene. 

When Barfield noticed the female victim going toward the door, he fired the .22 caliber rifle at the female victim but instead shot the male victim in the left side of his head, killing him instantly. Barfield immediately fled the scene and hid out at a neighbor’s house until his apprehension by law enforcement. 

Mr. Barfield claims that he was attempting suicide when the male victim intervened and the gun accidentally went off. However, none of the evidence presented at trial supported Barfield’s version, and the jury agreed with the State.  

The case was investigated jointly by the Pike County Sheriff’s Office/Southern Ohio Organized and Major Crimes Taskforce and the Pike County Prosecutor’s Office, with the assistance of The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (Crime Scene, DNA and Firearms), Lake County Crime Lab Firearms Division, Montgomery County Coroner’s Office, Piketon Police and the Waverly Police Department. 

“This case was truly a team effort with an all-hands-on deck mentality to provide justice to the victims,” Davis said. “I cannot thank everyone involved enough for their hard work on this case. All agencies came together for one purpose, and that was to get a conviction and provide justice. I specifically want to point out Alan Wheeler and Amy White of the Prosecutor’s Office for their exemplary work on this case.”