Following a chilling confession by a jailed serial killer regarding the 1980 murder of an Ohio high schooler during her spring break near Jacksonville, Florida, authorities reveal ongoing discussions with detectives probing additional cold cases, now confirmed to be linked to the perpetrator.
Billy Mansfield's admission of the slaying of 18-year-old Carol Ann Barrett from Zanesville, Ohio, sheds light on his involvement in at least six homicides. While he already received life sentences for five killings—four in California and one in Florida—officials, investigating Barrett's tragic demise, hint at the possibility of unearthing more victims.
Jacksonville sheriff's office states, "Mansfield continues to cooperate with detectives in other jurisdictions regarding additional cold cases."
Barrett, vacationing with seven friends in Daytona Beach in March 1980, encountered terror when a gunman invaded their room at the Treasure Island Motel. Project Cold Case recounts the harrowing ordeal, wherein the assailant coerced the group to undress, robbed them at gunpoint, and threatened dire consequences if they resisted. When one of Barrett's friends was singled out, she bravely volunteered to go, hoping to avert tragedy.
Tragically, Barrett's lifeless body was discovered the following day in a ditch along Interstate 95 in Jacksonville, 90 miles away. Investigating authorities revealed she had been fatally shot, execution-style, with no signs of struggle.
For years, a sketch of the motel intruder, based on witness recollections, stood as the sole lead. However, in 2017, the discovery of a partial palm print breathed new life into the investigation.
In 2022, Mansfield emerged as a prime suspect in Barrett's case, culminating in a chilling confession to her abduction and murder at just 24 years old. His criminal history, marred by allegations of sex crimes, was further compounded by charges of murdering three women and two teenage girls across Florida and California from 1975 to 1980. The Miami Herald, citing the Toronto Sun, reveals Mansfield's grim pattern of burying victims in his Florida residence before moving to California, where his spree concluded with arrest and conviction.
Sentenced to life imprisonment for the California murder and four consecutive life terms in Florida to avoid capital punishment, Mansfield's macabre saga serves as a stark reminder of the enduring pursuit of justice for victims and their families.
Comments