HOUSTON — A Cypress-area man accused of dismembering his own mother after shooting her was sentenced to decades in prison, the Harris County District Attorney's Office said.
Robert Barnes, 36, pleaded guilty to the 2021 death of Lucila Barnes, 72, in exchange for a 40-year sentence. He'll be eligible for parole in 20 years.
Editor's note: The video above originally aired in 2021.
As part of the plea deal, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said Barnes can't appeal the conviction or sentence.
“Domestic violence takes many forms, and it is an absolute tragedy that an argument led to the fatal shooting of the beloved member of a large extended family,” Ogg said. “We were able to get justice for this woman and her family.”
Family members were allowed to make victim impact statements in court on Tuesday.
What happened
Barnes was living with his mother in the Cypress area when they got into an argument on Oct. 20, 2021.
He shot her in the head, torso and legs with a 9mm handgun, killing her.
In an effort to try to hide the crime, Barnes dismembered his mother and stuffed her remains into a crate.
Family members became concerned when they couldn't reach their mother who had been planning a trip out of state for later that week.
When her daughter went to the home, Barnes came out with a rifle and ordered her to leave. He claimed their mother decided to leave a day early so he took her to the airport.
The daughter called law enforcement to do a welfare check.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office said deputies found inside a box in the garage of her home on Cactus Point Court.
History of violence
Investigators have not revealed the murder weapon but court documents show Barnes has a history with knives and guns dating back to at least 2003.
2003: Pleaded guilty to theft of a firearm in Fort Bend County
2004: Found guilty of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Fort Bend County
2005: Convicted of criminal mischief in Richmond
2016: Barnes was convicted of unlawful restraint for threatening a woman in his truck with a knife. Court records show he grabbed her by her hair, forced his fingers inside her mouth to keep her quiet and pointed a pocket knife at her. Barnes was originally charged with aggravated kidnapping but the charge was lowered to a misdemeanor.
2019: Barnes was arrested after he refused to leave Hotel Zaza after not paying his bill. Investigators found him on his hotel room bed with a knife. Earlier this year, Barnes was given 16 months probation for that case.
During a bond hearing for his mother's murder, a defense attorney tried to convince the judge to give him a lower bond and said he was the father of an 8-year-old child. The judge refused, citing the horrific details of his crime and his criminal history.