PUBLIC SAFETY

ITHACA MURDER: Suspect confessed after shooting, records show

Anthony Borrelli
aborrelli@pressconnects.com | @PSBABorrelli
Justin Barkley

An hour after accused murder defendant Justin Barkley was arrested following a standoff with police, he allegedly admitted driving to Walmart in Ithaca early Thursday and fatally shooting a UPS worker in the parking lot, driving over the victim's body, then later firing a "sound shot" from his rifle to keep officers from coming after him.

Minutes before the killing, a Walmart customer was making pleasant "small talk" with the victim while waiting in the cashier's line and joking about some oversized lighters near the cash register. That same customer later watched the victim fall to the ground after being shot, all according to Ithaca City Court records released Friday.

The court papers include two witness accounts that offer a glimpse into the second-degree murder case against Barkley, a 38-year-old Ithaca resident, in the death of 52-year-old Candor resident William Schumacher. But the records offer no insight into Barkley's alleged motive — police say neither man had ever met the other before the homicide that sparked a nearly eight-hour standoff at the suspect's Dryden Road home.

Also briefly mentioned in court records: Barkley's alleged admissions about committing the murder during a video-recorded interview with police that will be used as evidence against him if he goes to trial.

IN CUSTODY: Man killed one, shot at cops, police say

Witnesses who spoke to police after the murder described a seemingly run-of-the-mill late night in the Walmart store at 135 Fairgrounds Memorial Parkway — before the gunfire.

A 38-year-old witness recounted hearing a "loud crack or a pop" while scratching a phone card in the parking lot at about 12:52 a.m. Thursday. Court papers say that witness had been talking with the victim while in the Walmart cashier's line minutes earlier and at the time, Schumacher appeared to be in a good mood.

That same witness recounted for police the sight of Schumacher falling to his stomach after the gunshot and a pickup truck driver — allegedly Barkley — stick his head out the window and back up the vehicle over the victim, according to court papers.

"The (driver) in the truck did not appear to be in a hurry until after he ran over the guy on the ground, he rolled up his window and backed out of his parking spot like a normal customer," the witness told police.

The witness also recounted calling 911, seeing the victim's blood, and watching as police showed up "right away."

Police evacuated the 1200 block of Dryden Road and areas surrounding it during a standoff with a murder suspect Thursday morning.

Schumacher was a seasonally-employed 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 Thursday.

A second witness who was playing cellphone games while waiting in the parking lot told police Schumacher walked out of the Walmart around 12:35 a.m., carrying a bag and walking back to his parked vehicle minutes before the shooting.

At first, the witness said, the gunshot was mistaken for an electrical transformer explosion. Next came a screeching of truck tires, according to his statement to police.

Barkley allegedly swerved his truck toward another person's vehicle, then drove toward Route 13, court papers said.

"I heard somebody telling the cop that he (Schumacher) either still had a pulse or was still breathing and the cop said something was coming. I assumed an ambulance," the witness said in a statement. "Then the cops started putting up tape and I saw the guy on the ground."

Court papers say the alleged murder weapon was believed to be a .30-06 rifle.

Barkley remains held in the Tompkins County jail, awaiting a Wednesday court appearance. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 25 years to life in state prison.

'Suspect surrendered peacefully'

At a Thursday news conference, Ithaca Police Chief John Barber recounted how Cayuga Heights police and Tompkins County Sheriff's deputies identified Barkley's vehicle on Route 13 and followed it north not long after the killing.

Police tried stopping him at Route 13 and Dryden Road, Barber said, but he turned onto Dryden Road and traveled a quarter-mile before pulling into a driveway and getting out with a long gun.

Barkley allegedly fired one round before retreating into his residence, according to Barber. No one else was inside the residence at the time and no officers were injured.

Police officials credited a well-trained tactical and negotiations teams with helping to peacefully secure and arrest Barkley.

During Thursday's news conference, Barber said a negotiator contacted the suspect directly via a robot inserted into the residence

"As a result of that dialogue, via that skilled negotiator, the suspect surrendered peacefully," said Barber, who added Barkley was taken into custody at 9:43 a.m. Thursday. "The community is in a safer place right now with this man off the street."

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