Jaffrey and Rindge were rocked this September by a brutal murder and the subsequent arrest of a Jaffrey man accused of killing a 25-year-old Keene resident and forcing his wife to help cover up the crime.
Armando Barron, 30, of Jaffrey, was arrested and charged with capital murder in the killing, in which he allegedly lured Jonathan Amerault, 25, of Keene to Annett State Park in Rindge, assaulted him, attempted to convince his wife to kill him, and ultimately shot Amerault three times.
Barron is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 3 for a dispositional conference at the Cheshire Superior Court. His wife, who is charged three counts of evidence tampering in the same case, is scheduled for a dispositional conference on Feb. 1 at the Coos Superior Court.
After the murder, Barron and his wife allegedly moved the body upstate to a campsite, where they attempted to dispose of the body and Amerault’s vehicle. Barron’s wife has also been charged by the Attorney General’s Office in the crime, with three counts of falsifying physical evidence for allegedly assisting in the impediment of the investigation.
According to police affidavits, Barron found text messages on his wife’s phone that indicated that Amerault and his wife were in a relationship. The two worked together at Teleflex in Jaffrey.
On Sept. 19, Barron allegedly found the texts on his wife’s phone, and assaulted her, hitting her multiple times in the face and head, according to a statement given to police by Barron’s wife. He allegedly continued to assault her, including choking her until she lost consciousness and putting a gun in her mouth, she told police.
That night, Barron allegedly texted Amerault from his wife’s cell phone, pretending to be his wife and arranging to meet him that night at Annett State Park. When Amerault arrived at the park, Barron allegedly assaulted him physically, before ordering his wife to shoot him, and then ordering her to step on his throat. She refused to shoot Amerault, she told police, and put her foot on Amerault’s throat but refused to apply force.
Barron then allegedly ordered Amerault to get into the back of his own vehicle, and told his wife to cut Amerault’s wrists, which she allegedly did. Barron then allegedly got into the front of Amerault’s vehicle, and shot him twice in the chest and once in the head.
Barron and his wife allegedly traveled to a campsite in Atkinson and Gilmanton Academy Grant with Amerault’s body, where Barron allegedly instructed his wife to remove Amerault’s head with a saw to make identifying the body more difficult. Barron returned to Jaffrey for additional supplies while his wife remained at the campsite, until it was discovered by a group of hunters, who alerted Fish and Game to the illegal camping spot.
When officials responded to the area, they found Amerault’s body and his Subaru Impreza. Police arrested Barron back in Jaffrey, and he is currently incarcerated and awaiting trial.