Justin Barkley, 38, a former employee of the state of New York accused of murdering a UPS driver, told a judge at a court hearing in Ithaca, New York on Monday, “I shot and killed Donald Trump purposely, intentionally, and very proudly,” the Ithaca Voice reports.
Barkley was arrested on December 8 for the murder earlier that day of William Schumacher, 52, a UPS driver, near a Walmart store in Ithaca.
“Prosecutors say the Dryden resident intentionally caused the death of Schumacher — the two men were strangers — early Dec. 8. Barkley was indicted last week in Tompkins County Court on felony counts of second-degree murder and menacing a police officer or peace officer,” the Ithaca Journal reports:
After fleeing from the scene, court papers say, Barkley fired a “sound shot” from his rifle to keep law enforcement officers from coming after him once he pulled into the driveway of his Dryden Road home. After a nearly eight-hour standoff, Barkley was taken into custody without a struggle and no injuries to himself or police.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 25 years to life in state prison.
Schumacher was a seasonal UPS driver who had stopped to get something to eat during his overnight shift, according to Susan Rosenberg, a spokeswoman for the Atlanta-based package delivery company. He was about four weeks into his second stint as a seasonal driver of a tractor-trailer hauling packages between UPS processing hubs, she said.
On Monday, Barkley appeared before Judge John Rowley in Tompkins County court and attempted to plead guilty.
“I went there to purposely shoot and kill him and put him down,” Barkley told the court after admitting, “I shot and killed Donald Trump purposely, intentionally, and very proudly.”
After hearing Barkley’s initial statements, Rowley “did not accept the plea . . . and adjourned the indictment to Jan. 6”
“Rowley also ordered Barkley to be evaluated to determine whether he is competent to stand trial,” the Journal reports.
Barkley remained convinced that he had killed President-elect Trump, and not William Schumacher. He told the court, “he has never met a man named William Schumacher before.”
Behind him in court, victim William Schumacher’s family cried and shook as Barkley made his statements.
Barkley has been indicted for the felonies of second-degree murder and menacing a police officer or peace officer.
North Country Now reports that Barkley is “[t]he former director of the Massena Wellness Center.”
The New York State Office of Mental Health said Barkley had resigned his position in Massena prior to the murder.
“Justin Barkley was not employed by the state of New York at the time of this incident. This former employee was a licensed master social worker from September 2008 until May 2016 at St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center, where his final position was program director of the Massena Wellness Center,” according to Ben Rosen, OMH Public Information Office director. “In May 2016, he voluntarily left St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center for a position with the Office of Children and Family Services.”
He began working at The Office of Children and Family Services’ Finger Lakes Residential Center on May 4 and resigned effective Aug. 8, said Monica Mahaffey, New York State Office of Children & Family Services assistant commissioner for communications.
The St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center, located in Ogdensburg, New York, is part of the New York State Office of Mental Health.
The murder of Schumacher by a man convinced he had just killed President-elect Donald Trump serves to heighten the security concerns many have expressed about the safety of the New York City billionaire who will be inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States on January 20, 2017.
On November 9, for instance, the day after Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in the presidential election, the Daily Caller reported that “Twitter is exploding with people calling for president-elect to be assassinated.”
“The Secret Service and the New York Police Department are coordinating an unprecedented security plan to protect all 68 stories of Trump Tower in Manhattan, home to President-elect Donald Trump and his business,” CBS News reported on November 16.
“Protesters have gathered outside the skyscraper since his election,” CBS noted.
The unwillingness of many on the left to accept President-elect Trump’s victory continues, despite the confirmation of that win in Monday’s Electoral College results.
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