Inmate tries to intimidate witnesses
By John Joyce
Published in News on May 13, 2014 1:46 PM
An inmate being held in the Wayne County Jail on rape charges stemming from an armed robbery in December 2013 is under investigation for an alleged act of witness intimidation.
Christopher McKinney Barrett, 21, whose address is listed as the Wayne County Jail, is charged with first-degree rape, first-degree sexual offense and robbery with a dangerous weapon.
Barrett has been in jail since Dec. 20, 2013, under an $800,000 secured bond.
According to a Goldsboro police report, Barrett sent a letter through a third party to two of his alleged victims, offering them money if they would agree not to come to court to testify against him.
The alleged rape and robbery took place when Barret allegedly entered an apartment in the 900 block of Hugh Street Dec. 18, robbed two men and raped a 20-year-old female at gunpoint.
He made off with $150 in cash, marijuana, two packs of cigarettes and three packs of cigars.
Investigators identified Barrett as a suspect in the incident and tracked him down two days later at a residence in the Carolina Pines Trailer Park on North William Street.
The letter from jail was sent to his cousin, Iko Barrett, with instructions to show the letter to one of the male victims and the female he allegedly raped, the report said.
The report did not indicate whether the letter was delivered to the two victims.