CONCORD, N.H. — A jury on Thursday convicted a New Hampshire man of first-degree homicide for killing his spouse’s coworker after he found they had been texting, after which forcing her to behead him.

Armando Barron additionally was convicted of assaulting his spouse, Britany Barron, the evening he found she had been texting together with her coworker, Jonathan Amerault. Prosecutors mentioned he used her cellphone to lure him to a park simply north of the Massachusetts state line in September 2020.

Barron additionally was convicted of beating and kicking Amerault, forcing him into his personal automobile and taking pictures him.

Amerault’s mom was within the courtroom and began crying as the decision was learn.

The jury had the case for a bit beneath two hours earlier than the decision.

In closing arguments, Barron’s lawyer mentioned Britany’s testimony was contradicted by bodily proof and he or she had a motive to lie, whereas a prosecutor mentioned she advised the reality and had feared for her life.

Barron had pleaded not responsible to first-degree homicide, kidnapping and different expenses. His legal professionals argue that his spouse shot Amerault, which she denies.

His lawyer, Meredith Lugo, mentioned the “main instance” of Britany’s testimony not being supported by the proof was her description of how Armando shot that final bullet within the hatchback automobile. She mentioned he was rotated within the passenger’s seat, with Amerault within the again and his head up towards the door of the hatchback.

Lugo mentioned the shot couldn’t have been inflicted that means, noting that the state’s chief health worker testified the bullet was fired at shut vary.

“If Britany isn’t being trustworthy with you about that, what else isn’t she telling you?” Lugo mentioned.

Prosecutor Benjamin Agati mentioned that Amerault died attempting to avoid wasting himself, transferring towards Armando because the shot was fired. He had tried to guard himself when a previous bullet went via his arm and had different defensive wounds on his arms and arms. His toes had been near a machete that was on the ground, and to the automobile door handles.

“To consider that in that taking pictures that Jonathan simply sat there may be not affordable,” Agati mentioned.

Britany testified that after Amerault was shot, she was compelled to drive the automobile 200 miles north to a distant campsite, with Armando driving proper behind her and speaking to her on the cellphone a lot of the means. There, she mentioned, she was compelled to behead Amerault. Her husband ultimately left her on the web site, telling her to get rid of the physique, she testified.

Lugo mentioned Britany is “very able to mendacity when she desires to,” noting that when she was approached on the campsite by state Fish and Sport Division officers, she advised them she was there “clearing her head” following a struggle with a girlfriend at a celebration.

Ultimately, the officers observed one thing coated by a tarp that turned out to be Amerault’s automobile. She was detained and dropped at police.

“However in fact she cooperated at that time,” Lugo mentioned. “She had a narrative she was promoting and he or she wanted them to consider it,” framing herself because the sufferer.

Agati mentioned the steadiness that Britany will need to have needed to make, “believing that her personal life was forfeit, juxtaposed together with her must get again dwelling to the women that she had nearly actually been dragged away from, the connection she had been in for 14 years of marriage,” ought to be thought of by the jurors.

Britany Barron pleaded responsible final 12 months to a few counts of falsifying proof and was launched from jail on parole final month.

The Related Press had not been naming the couple so as to not determine Britany Barron, who mentioned she suffered excessive abuse. Via her lawyer, she lately agreed to using her identify.

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