KC man charged in killing of Olathe woman was under house arrest for stalking charges
A 42-year-old Kansas City man who was charged Thursday for allegedly killing a woman in her home over the weekend was out of jail on bond for a stalking charge involving that same woman, according to Johnson County District Court records.
Clyde James Barnes Jr. is charged with premeditated first degree murder, aggravated burglary, unlawful tampering with electronic monitoring, criminal threat and violation of a protection order in the death of 42-year-old Jessica L. Smith early Sunday morning.
Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe announced the charges in a news release posted on Twitter.
Zane Todd, Barnes’ defense attorney in the stalking case, said he had not spoken to his client since the new charges were filed.
Barnes was arrested Sunday, hours after Smith was found dead in a home in the 800 block of N. Hamilton Street in Olathe.
Police responded to the home shortly before 3 a.m. Sunday on reports of a burglary. When they arrived Smith was found dead inside the home and her killer appeared to have fled the scene, police said in a news release at the time.
Prior to the killing, Barnes was already facing charges for stalking Smith after he had been served a protection order, according to court records. Smith allegedly violated the order in March and was arrested in late April.
He was released from jail to house arrest five days later on $1,500 bail and under the conditions that he not go within 1,000 yards of Smith’s home or work, that he submit to drug tests and that he not posses firearms or alcohol.
Barnes is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday. His bond is set at $1 million.
This story was originally published July 9, 2020 at 3:29 PM.
