Lawyers for Britany Barron are scheduled to meet with the state Attorney General’s office to discuss a possible plea deal this week. Barron, of Jaffrey, is charged with three felony counts of tampering with evidence for allegedly helping her husband cover up the murder of Jonathan Amerault of Keene.
During a dispositional conference at the Coos Superior Court, held by teleconference on Monday, attorneys for both sides said they were working toward a possible plea agreement. The two sides are scheduled to meet Wednesday out of court to discuss a plea agreement and several other matters.
Senior Assistant Attorney General Benjamin Agati told Judge Peter Bornstein the state may have a plea offering ready as soon as the end of the month, though he acknowledged there have been multiple delays due to evidence processing being slowed due to COVID-19.
Agati said there are still outstanding lab results which may not be available until early April or later, and acknowledged that if a plea offer is ready before then, Britany Barron has the right to view all evidence before making a “knowing, intelligent and voluntary choice” accepting or denying a plea offer.
Richard Guerriero, attorney for Britany Barron, also requested the court review an updated trial schedule, in light of those delays, if a plea deal is not reached.
“I realize there’s only so much that the state can do about the situation at the crime lab,” Guerriero said, of the delays.
Guerriero has pushed for a speedy trial while Britany Barron has been held without bail on the charges.
Bornstein agreed a new schedule was warranted, and ordered both sides to submit their new schedule proposals by Friday, March 12. Agati agreed that the new schedule would include a deadline for the state to make a plea offer to Britany Barron.
The court discussed a possible trial date, which has been discussed to occur as soon as the end of this year, but did not offer a firm time frame for when a trial could occur on the updated schedule. Guerriero said only that he would like the trial to be scheduled “as soon as possible, in light of the fact that Ms. Barron is in custody.”
Britany Barron confessed to police that her husband, Armando Barron of Jaffrey, used her phone to lure Amerault to Annett State Park in Rindge, where he beat and then shot Amerault multiple times, killing him, after learning the two were having an affair.
Britany Barron alleges her husband forced her to participate in the cover-up of the murder, including taking Amerault’s body to a campsite in northern New Hampshire, removing his head to make the body more difficult to identify, burying his head and disposing of the rest of his body in a creek, and attempting to hide and clean Amerault’s vehicle. Britany Barron alleges she was beaten badly by her husband when he first discovered the affair, and threatened her life.
The state alleges that while Britany Barron was a victim of domestic violence, she was left alone with Amerault’s body, a vehicle and a phone for extended periods of time, but did not attempt to alert authorities until she was eventually discovered alone at the campsite with evidence of the crime.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.