Clarksville, TN: Clarksville man says he doesn't recall stabbing wife to death

That Khaleefa Lambert stabbed his 18-year-old wife Ashley Barnes-Lambert to death on March 7, 2009, was not in question Monday as his murder trial began. The question is his mindset at the time.

Khaleefa Lambert is accused of murdering Ashley Cecilia Barnes, a soldier with the 159th Combat Aviation Brigade. Police say Lambert kidnapped her from Microtel Inn and stabbed her 12 times in the head, neck and abdomen. She was found dead in the back floorboard of the SUV he was driving.

Lambert, 29, is charged with first-degree murder, felony murder, especially aggravated kidnapping and false imprisonment. A jury was selected Monday in Judge Mike R. Jones' court and heard opening statements and testimony from state witnesses.

Barnes came to Clarksville on a mid-tour leave from Afghanistan to file for divorce. She and about four friends had a party in her hotel room the night before the stabbing. Although Lambert told police and Army officials he believed his wife was cheating, two of her close friends who were at the party testified Barnes was not. Attorney Adrian Bohnenberger testified he was hired by Barnes to file the divorce papers.

Bohnenberger spoke with Lambert, who never wanted to reconcile with Barnes but wanted money, he said. "A few weeks before Ms. Barnes returned from overseas, I received a phone call, and the first thing that was said was that he would not sign the paperwork," Bohnenberger said. "He wanted a sum of money that I thought was rather absurd. He said he was going to get his money because he would get his support from the military and it would continue until she got back.

"I replied that's not definite," Bohnenberger said. "He became quite agitated."

Lambert's 'blankouts'
In a statement to police, Lambert didn't deny stabbing Barnes, but said he didn't remember doing it. "I stabbed her I guess. ... It was like a blank in and a blank out," Lambert told Clarksville Police Detective Alan Charvis following his arrest. "All I know is I seen him and her, the guy she was in the hotel with. He ran and left her. From then on, I don't know."

Lambert told police he went to the hotel to gather proof that his wife was cheating. "She came outside and him and her was hugged up," Lambert told police. "I jumped out the truck and ran toward her, and I grabbed her. ... That's all I remember from that point. ... I just snapped."

The blade to the knife was recovered from Ashley's neck and the handle was found in the SUV, Charvis testified. Lambert said he remembered driving down Interstate 24 talking to her and then realizing she was hurt and she needed to go to the hospital. "I don't know but something clicked in my head and I turned around. ... I called 911." Lambert said he tried to get the attention of a Tennessee Highway Patrol officer, pulling behind him. The trooper then pulled him over.

Premeditated?
During opening statements, the jury saw pictures of Barnes dead in the back seat and also heard Lambert's tearful 911 call. Sam Knolton, assistant district attorney, said all evidence would show Lambert set out to kill Barnes. Public Defender Roger Nell said the recording showed Lambert was not thinking rationally. "Mr. Lambert had a rational goal to get together with his wife. He lost his rationality in that parking lot and committed the most irrational act of his and Ms. Ashley's life," Nell said. "He called his sister, he was crying and told her what he had done. The night before when he was calling his wife. He was emotional. He called his son's mother and talked to her as well. He was again crying and upset. He called 911 himself. "Your job will be much more difficult, trying to get into Mr. Lambert's head the morning of March 7, 2009, and figure what was going on: Was he thinking rationally or acting irrationally?" Nell said in opening statements. "What was his intent? What did he know? Was he acting out of passion and excitement?" Court resumes at 9 a.m. today.