KINGWOOD— One of two people accused in the 2019 murder of Phillip “Bucky” Barlow has waived his preliminary hearing.
By waiving the preliminary hearing in magistrate court Monday, Oct. 19, Robert Joseph Quinn, 43. of Tunnelton, allows the case to go directly to the Preston County Grand Jury.
After hearing police and prosecutors present evidence, the grand jury will decide whether sufficient evidence exists to indict Quinn. If indicted, he can choose to enter a plea or go to trial on the charge.
He is charged with first-degree murder and being held without bond in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail.
Last week a warrant was issued for Quinn’s girlfriend, Laura Lynn Martin, of Tunnelton, charging her with first-degree murder as well. Martin is being held in jail in Garrett County, Md., on burglary and theft charges, and is awaiting extradition back to West Virginia.
A search began for Barlow, 61, of Tunnelton, when he failed to arrive for work May 29, 2019. His truck was found on fire the same morning near Showerbath Road, Kingwood.
His body was found June 8, 2019, near Fortney’s Mill, by hunters training their dogs.
According to the criminal complaint for Quinn, through the course of the investigation deputies noticed discrepancies in statements and “odd behaviors” by Quinn and Martin. The couple lived next to Barlow, according to police.
During a search of the pair’s home, police said they found letters written between them when Martin was in jail that mentioned Barlow.
On Oct. 7, deputies obtained a statement from a witness who said Martin admitted she and Quinn tried to rob Barlow and murdered him.
On Oct. 9, Capt. T.N.. Tichnell interviewed Quinn while he was in the Garrett County (Md.) jail on an unrelated incident.
Quinn waived his Miranda rights and admitted that he and Martin had murdered Barlow because they heard he had “a large sum of cash,” according to the complaint. Barlow was planning to retire in September 2019 and move to Indiana.
According to the complaint, they attacked Barlow in his home, took him in his truck to the Fortney’s Mill bridge, walked him under the bridge and “inflicted the throat laceration.” Then Quinn took Barlow’s truck to Kingwood, where they tried to burn it.
Quinn knew details only the killer would know, according to the complaint.
Barlow’s friend of more than 50 years, Bob Sheets, previously told The Dominion Post that Barlow “was a good person. He didn’t bother anybody. Real nice guy. He tried to help people out.”
TWEET@DominionPostWV
