Man Acquitted In Phylicia Barnes Murder: Report

BALTIMORE, MD — Seven years after Phylicia Barnes was murdered, the case remains unsolved. The man accused in the teen's death was acquitted this week. It was the third time he stood trial for the murder of Barnes, who went missing in December 2010 and whose body was later found in the Susquehanna River.

Michael Johnson, 34, of the 600 block of Cooks Lane, faced a charge of second-degree murder in the death of Barnes.

He was reportedly the last person to have seen the 16-year-old girl alive and was dating her half-sister.

Barnes, who lived in North Carolina, disappeared three days after Christmas 2010 while visiting her half-sister in Baltimore. Her body was found north of Havre de Grace near the Conowingo Dam in April 2011.

The judge cited a lack of evidence as he acquitted Johnson Friday.

Prosecutors could not prove where and how the killing occurred, and the crux of their case hinged on a storage bin that Johnson said he was using to transport his belongings after breaking up with his girlfriend, according to The Baltimore Sun. A neighbor had allegedly seen Johnson having difficulty moving the container from the apartment on Dec. 28, 2010, when Barnes disappeared, the newspaper reported.

Prosecutors accused Johnson of putting the body in the storage container.

Circuit Court Judge Charles J. Peters said there were "too many questions" to be certain of what happened beyond a reasonable doubt, according to The Baltimore Sun, which reported Johnson is not done with court; he reportedly plans to sue a homicide detective involved in the investigation for $750,000.

"We grieve for the Barnes' and this tragedy, but convicting an innocent man is not justice for Phylicia Barnes," Katy O'Donnell, the attorney for Johnson, said in a statement to WBAL TV after the ruling was issued.

"...we hope that one day what really happened to Phylicia Barnes will be discovered and her family will get the peace that they deserve," O'Donnell said.

Friday's verdict was the third for Johnson, and it is final.

Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby called the ruling a "difficult development" after a lengthy battle.

"We believed, based on the evidence presented to us, that we were pursuing the individual responsible for her murder, but the justice system has run its course and we must now respect the court's decision," Mosby said in a statement. "This outcome does not change the fact that the family of Phylicia Barnes has suffered a tremendous loss and we will continue to support them as they continue to grieve and cope with this difficult development."

Two Previous Trials Preceded Acquittal

After the death of Barnes, police honed in on Johnson as the prime suspect.

He was indicted in April 2012, and jurors found Johnson guilty of second-degree murder in February 2013.

Judge Alfred Nance overturned the 2013 guilty verdict because prosecutors withheld information about a witness.

At the second trial, Judge John Addison Howard declared a mistrial because part of a tape that was supposed to be redacted was accidentally played twice in the courtroom in 2014.

Johnson was incarcerated for nearly three years, until his release in late January 2015, when Judge Howard acquitted him following two mistrials because he said there was "no direct evidence" linking him to the crime.

That ruling stood in court at the third trial, where Judge Peters determined the case was circumstantial.

RELATED:

• Judge Releases Man Tried in Phylicia Barnes Murder Case
• Former Boyfriend of Phylicia Barnes' Sister Indicted on Murder Charge
• Investigation into Death of Teen Moves to 'New Place,' Police Say
• State Police Find Body of Phylicia Barnes in Susquehanna River
• Search for Missing Girl Brings Central Maryland's Rescue Teams Together

File photo of Phylicia Barnes via Baltimore Police.