Colorado husband charged with murder after police said evidence challenged his wife’s reported suicide.
A Colorado man has been charged with first-degree murder after police said his wife was found dead in the shower of their Lakewood home on Thursday, August 13, 2026.
Patrick Theodore Barnett, 40, is accused in the death of his wife, Lindsey Barnett, 37, according to a public statement from the Lakewood Police Department cited in reports.
Barnett has been charged, but he has not been convicted. The allegations must still be proven in court.
Police Say 911 Call Claimed Suicide
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by People, Patrick called 911 around 6 a.m. and said Lindsey had cut herself and her throat.
He allegedly told investigators he had slept in the basement after a dispute and went upstairs to apologize when he found her in the shower.
Patrick also told police that Lindsey had postpartum depression, according to the affidavit.
Evidence Raised Questions
Investigators said the scene did not match Patrick’s account, according to the affidavit cited by People and Law&Crime.
Police said one side of the couple’s bed had a large amount of blood, while the bathroom had little blood. Investigators also said blood patterns suggested Lindsey’s body had been repositioned.
The affidavit said Lindsey had bruises on her arms and legs, and some injuries appeared to be defensive wounds.
Investigators also found a knocked-over plant near the bed and soil dragged toward the bathroom, according to the affidavit.
Affair Allegation Emerges
Police said investigators learned Patrick had been in a relationship with another woman he met online about three months earlier.
That woman contacted authorities for a wellness check after she could not reach him, according to the affidavit.
She allegedly told police Patrick said he planned to divorce Lindsey and claimed Lindsey had recently been in a psychiatric unit and attempted suicide.
Family Disputed Suicide Claim
Lindsey’s mother, Donna Ott, told police her daughter had struggled with depression before, but had not shown recent symptoms and had never attempted suicide, according to the affidavit.
Ott also alleged Patrick had been verbally abusive toward Lindsey in the past.
She told police Lindsey loved her children and had been looking forward to the start of the school year. Lindsey worked as a schoolteacher and had two young children.
Case Moves Forward
Patrick is being held without bond at the Jefferson County Jail, according to police reports.
Authorities have not publicly announced a motive.
The case now moves through the court system as prosecutors prepare to present the evidence behind the first-degree murder charge.