A New Hampshire man who murdered his wife’s co-worker was sentenced Friday to life behind bars, plus an additional 45 years.
Armando Barron, 32, was convicted of killing Jonathan Amerault, 25, after Amerhault had an affair with Barron’s wife, Britany Baron. Prosecutors said during the trial that Armando Barron brutally beat his wife after finding text messages between her and Amerault in September 2020.
Britany took the stand during the trial and cried as she recalled her husband ordering her to behead Amerhault. Armando Barron was said to have sent their children to their grandmother’s house next door before taking Britany to Amerhault.
“Don’t do anything stupid or the girls are going to walk into something (expletive) gruesome,” Britany testified, recalling what Barron said to her.
After Barron took her to Amerault and shot him, he then pushed her to finish the job by ordering her to slash his throat.
“I said, ‘No. I’m not going to kill him. I can’t,’” she continued. “I could hear Jon struggling to breathe,” she said.
As Amerault pleaded for his life and said he’d never see Britany again, Barron didn’t care and continued to abuse him, according to court documents.
“He’s like, ‘Look at her. Do you still think she’s pretty? So you still think she’s pretty?’” Britany Barron said.
“Jon looked at me. He said, ‘Yeah, I do.’”
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Amerhault was reported missing by his mother after he failed to show up for work at Teleflex Medical OEM. Amerault and Barron were both employees at the company when they met.
When investigators spoke with Armando Barron, he told them he was upset because his marriage was breaking up and that he’d last seen his wife on Saturday when he dropped her off to go camping with friends.
According to Britany’s version of events, recorded in a previous affidavit, Armando left her 225 miles away at a Coos County site they frequently used for camping, with Amerault’s body, ordering her to bury him by the time he returned.
Armando Barron learned of her affair when he went through his wife’s cell phone. He later used his wife’s phone to lure Amerault to Annett Wayside Park. When Amerault arrived, Armando Barron allegedly beat Britany in front of him before attacking Amerault.
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“Britany Barron would not place her finger on the trigger,” the affidavit says, summarizing her account of the incident. “When she did not shoot him, Armando removed the gun from her hand.”
Armando Barron also told Britany to slice Amerault’s wrists, she said, and she did, according to an arrest affidavit. At that point, Armando Barron fired three shots at Amerault, two into the chest and one into the head, the affidavit says.
Barron then allegedly ordered Britany to drive Amerault’s car, with his body inside, to the camping area. He reportedly followed in his own vehicle, stopping at a general store for tarps, lighter fluid, household cleaner, and a shovel.
After they arrived at their remote campsite, Armando ordered Britany to remove Amerault’s head. She did that and buried it, she told detectives. Then, she said, Armando ordered her to wrap Amerault’s body in a tarp and dig a grave, the Keene Sentinel reported.
“Armando Barron ordered Britany to come with him to an area where there was cell phone service,” the affidavit says. “Shortly thereafter, Armando stopped the car and smashed Jonathan’s phone on a rock. Armando gave part of the smashed phone to Britany.” They threw the separate parts of the phone out of the vehicle, according to the affidavit.
Britany Barron said her husband also ordered her to text friends that she was “leaving for a while to clear her head.”
Investigators saw the messages, the affidavit says.
After police found Amerault’s body and his car — covered in a tarp and a variety of vegetation, they took Britany into custody. She told them her husband was coming back with concrete, dirt, and their 9-year-old daughter.
State police found him driving his stepfather’s vehicle and arrested him.
“The depravity of your actions and single-handedly causing the pain and suffering and death of Jonathan Amerault show an extreme indifference to the value of human life,” Judge Elizabeth Leonard said during sentencing, according to the New York Daily News.
“Your actions were brutal. They were absolutely horrific. They were selfish, and they were completely senseless.”
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[Featured image: Police Handout]
*Additional reporting by KC Wildmoon*
