Judge Finds Wheelchair-Bound Suspect Probably Murdered Former Lover 

By Jeff Levine , LaTrina Antoine , Adriana Marroquin , Radhakund Ramnarine [former] - December 18, 2024
Court | Daily Stories | Domestic Violence | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

While the defense tried to portray 23-year-old Desmond Barr as a victim during a five-day preliminary hearing from Dec. 13 to Dec. 18, DC Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe ruled he probably murdered his one-time girlfriend.  

Barr, paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair, is charged with second-degree murder while armed in connection to the death of Ambria Farmer, 20, on July 13. Her body was found in Fort DuPont Park, located near the 3600 block of F Street, SE, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

On Dec. 18, Judge O’Keefe ruled to keep Barr confined at the Central Treatment Facility (CTF) of the DC Jail despite requests from his defense attorney Domonique Winters to release him on home confinement. 

Winters said that, although Barr has had several violations, his history shows no violations while under home confinement. She said home confinement would be the least restrictive option the court could use, adding the defense could go to court for quarterly, monthly or weekly check-ins. 

However, Judge O’Keefe said he was not convinced Barr would not be a danger to society if released, citing a misdemeanor case in which Barr assaulted another romantic partner, not related to the murder case, while he was in his home.  

“I do think Mr. Barr is dangerous, there’s no doubt about it,” Judge O’Keefe said. “He has a violent past and the pattern of violence continues. I don’t trust him in the community,”

During the hearing on Dec. 13, video surveillance footage allegedly showed Farmer getting into a white 2019 Kia Stinger, identified as Barr’s vehicle, as well as a trail of Instagram messages detailing how the meeting, an hour before the murder, was arranged. 

Among the prosecution witnesses, one individual, “heard a woman crying for help before the sound of gunshots.”  

An analyst from the DC Medical Examiner’s Office testified that a bullet was lodged between the front of a car– said to be the suspect’s vehicle– and the passenger’s side which corresponds to someone in the driver’s seat shooting into the passenger seat.

Farmer was found shot three times in the face, chest and back. 

According to the prosecution, Barr identified himself on the scene as the man who owns the suspected vehicle  Further, he allegedly attempted to hide the evidence by disposing of the victim’s shoes, handbag and phone.  The murder weapon has not been found.

Barr’s other attorney, Hannah Claudio, argued that Barr was more the victim than the offender. Claudio said Farmer’s behavior was “erratic and getting worse” and Barr was trying his best to stay away. Still, Winters said she would “sit and wait at his home and workplace” and eventually threw a brick through his windshield and slashed his tires.

Although Barr got a temporary restraining order, it didn’t stop Farmer from pretending to be a witness in an effort to meet up with him, said Winters. 

The defense also pointed out discrepancies in some of the physical evidence, including a witness misidentifying the suspected vehicle as a two-door instead of a four-door model.  Further, Claudio said the video surveillance was blurry. 

Prosecutors attempted to leverage Barr’s prior criminal history against him, pointing out he was sentenced to ten years for strangling another romantic partner among other charges, and that he committed this crime while on release.

The defense asked the judge to differentiate between crimes Barr committed before being paralyzed and the charges of which he’s currently accused. 

“His condition should give the court comfort that he wouldn’t be able to do the things a more able person might be able to do,” said Claudio.

In his probable cause ruling Judge O’Keefe said that Barr was being “deceptive” when he claimed not to have seen Farmer.  Further, if he felt he were being threatened, “Even though she jumped in his car, he didn’t drive to a police station.” 

Further, his distinctive model Kia was identified by a witness who is also a car dealer.  The evidence predisposed Judge O’Keefe to conclude that Barr drove Farmer to the murder scene, shot her, dumped her body and tried to dispose of the evidence. 

Barr is scheduled for a status hearing on Jan. 31, 2025.