Brian Cohee: Why did he murder Warren Barnes?
Sometimes, there’s no motive for murder — people simply find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's terrifying to think you could be minding your own business and going about the same routine, only to cross paths with a psychopath.
This is exactly what happened to Warren Barnes. The 69-year-old homeless man was senselessly murdered by 19-year-old Brian Cohee on 27th February 2021. It’s a case that continues to shock the team at Crime+Investigation. Keep reading to learn more.
A fascination with the morbid
Brian Cohee was a troubled child who, according to his mother, had a 'fascination with the morbid'. At just five years old, he was diagnosed with ADHD. Two years prior to murdering Warren, he also received an autism diagnosis, which explained why he struggled to integrate with his peers.
Worryingly, at school, he was dubbed 'Dahmer' due to his fascination with Jeffrey Dahmer, who killed and dismembered 17 boys between 1978 and 1991. While other children looked up to pop stars and superheroes, Cohee idolised serial killers and sexual predators.
Not satisfied with reading about Dahmer's crimes, Cohee wanted to emulate them. He started by hurting animals, killing a cat and hiding its decomposing head in his bedroom for three days. But it wasn't enough — he wanted a human victim.
Warren Barnes: The Reading Man
Warren Barnes was a 69-year-old homeless man from downtown Grand Junction, Colorado. Although he didn't have many material possessions, he had a big heart.
Locals called him 'The Reading Man' because he loved books. You could often find him sitting outside the bridal store, flicking through the latest novel and gratefully receiving food and drink donations from passersby. Sometimes, he snoozed happily in the sun. On other occasions, he worked odd jobs to earn money for a room come the colder winter months.
He was a valued and respected member of the community who didn't take drugs, cause trouble or speak unless spoken to. After his murder, tributes poured in, with friends saying 'he was the kind of fellow we all should be'.
The murder
What turns children into murderers? More often than not, it's abuse. Other times, like with Cohee, there's simply a lack of humanness.
This is why Cohee was driving around the neighbourhood on that cold night in February 2021. He wanted to kill someone for the experience. He eventually came across Warren sleeping next to some railway tracks. He would later reveal to investigators that he thought nobody would miss a homeless person or prostitute.
When he got out of the car, he put on three pairs of gloves, picked up a knife and ambushed Warren while he was sleeping. According to Cohee, Warren screamed, 'What are you doing, why, why?' before succumbing to his injuries. Afterwards, he dismembered Warren's hands and head and took them home to hide in his closet.
The arrest
A few days later, Cohee's mother was cleaning his bedroom when she noticed an unpleasant smell coming from the wardrobe. Nothing could have prepared her for what she was about to find. The below has been taken from a police interview:
'I was tidying up his room, putting things away, and came across a plastic container in his closet. As I started digging through it, I found a plastic bag. Curious, I picked it up, feeling its weight, and noticed it was infested with maggots. I took it to the sink, noticing it was double-bagged. I opened the first bag but couldn't bring myself to open the second.'
After the gruesome discovery, she immediately called 911. Shocking bodycam footage shows the following exchange. The police approached Cohee and said, 'Your parents have concerns of some stuff they may have found in your room? What would it be?'
Cohee replies, 'A human head and hands from that fella that went missing recently.'
The trial and aftermath
On 3rd February 2023, Cohee was charged with first-degree murder, tampering with a deceased human body and tampering with evidence. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
He has never shown any remorse for his crime. Instead, he blames major depressive disorder, autism and ADHD. As for motive, he told police he just wanted to know 'what murder felt like' and compared himself to serial killer Edmund Kemper. Like his hero, both are likely to die in prison.
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