Britany Barron has entered not-guilty pleas for two additional charges levied against her in relation to the murder of Jonathan Amerault of Keene.
Barron has been indicted on three counts of falsifying physical evidence, for alleged actions she took relating to the cover up of the crime. She pled not guilty on all three counts, alleging she was in fear for her life and forced to participate in the crime by her husband.
“She is innocent of all charges. We have repeatedly demanded her release and repeatedly demanded a speedy trial,” Barron’s attorney Richard Guerriero said in an interview Wednesday. “We very much expect her to be found innocent of all charges in front of a jury.”
Guerriero said that he intends to file another motion demanding a speedy trial for his client, now that she has been indicted on the three counts of falsifying physical evidence she was originally charged with.
Amerault was allegedly lured to Annett State Park in Rindge by Barron’s husband, Armando Barron, in September, after he found out Amerault, 25, and his wife were allegedly having a relationship. He allegedly assaulted Amerault, coerced Britany into injuring Amerault and attempting to coerce her to kill him, before Armando ultimately killed Amerault with multiple gunshots, including one to the head.
The couple then allegedly drove Amerault’s body and his vehicle to a northern campsite, where they attempted to dispose of the body and other evidence, until Britany Barron was discovered at the scene by New Hampshire Fish and Game officers.
The state has declined to charge Barron on acts she confessed to committing while in the direct proximity of her husband, and does not deny that much of the crime was committed while she was under duress. However, the state alleges there were multiple opportunities for Barron to contact authorities in the aftermath of the murder, and she did not do so.
Barron was originally scheduled to be arraigned Thursday, May 20, on two additional charges, both related to abuse of a corpse, for allegedly removing Amerault’s head to make him more difficult to identify, and attempting to dispose of his body in a stream.
On Wednesday, Barron’s attorney, Richard Guerriero, filed a request with the Coos County Superior Court to waive the arraignment process and enter pleas of “not guilty” for both charges.
While both the defense and prosecution have agreed there should not be a bail hearing on the new indictments at this time, Guerriero requested to preserve the right to request one at a future date.
Barron has remained in jail pending trial since her initial arrest. Guerriero has requested his client not remain in prison without bail, and submitted a proposal that included stipulations such as GPS monitoring and a requirement to live in court-approved housing, but bail was denied based on the violent nature of the crime.
Judge Peter H. Bornstein approved the order waiving arraignment and agreed to the stipulation regarding future bail hearings on Wednesday.