Sep 5, 2007 6:27 pm US/Eastern
Murder Suspect Speaks 41 Years After Shooting
by Walt Hunter
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
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William Barnes was charged with murder following the recent death of Phila. Police Officer Walter Barclay, 41 years after he was shot.
CBS
In a CBS 3 exclusive, Walt Hunter spoke with a suspect charged with murder following the recent death of a Philadelphia Police officer 41 years after he was shot.
William Barnes recalled the fateful night in 1966 when he fired two shots into rookie police officer Walter Barclay.
Barclay's injuries would plague him for 41 years until his death on August 19 at the age of 64.
Barnes, now 71-years-old, spoke with CBS 3's Walt Hunter at Graterford Prison how that one violent moment also changed his life forever.
"I fired twice…one hit him (Barclay) in the leg…spun him around…the other one hit him in the shoulder. As soon as it happened, I'm thinking to myself, 'What the (expletive) did I do,'" Barnes said.
District Attorney Lynne Abraham charged Barnes with murder after Barclay's recent death, despite the fact he already served 15 years in prison for the shooting.
"When you set in motion a chain of events," District Attorney Lynne Abraham said, "a perpetrator of a crime is responsible for every single thing that follows from that chain of events no matter how distant."
"This is a travesty. It's a nightmare. I can look anyone in the eye and say, 'I did not kill this man,'" Barnes said.
After 41 years, Barnes believes Barclay's death was not a result of the bullets he fired, but rather natural causes.
"They tell me he died of a urinary tract infection. They tell me about people dying in the hospital from infections all the time," he said.
In recent years, Barnes has been lecturing others about his life of crime. He said he has changed, but never knew what he would do if he got in touch with Officer Barclay.
"What the hell would I say him? 'I'm sorry?' How do you say you're sorry to someone you hurt so seriously," Barnes said.
Barnes is expected in court for a preliminary hearing on September 12.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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