Chatham, NC: Pittsylvania County woman makes plea in boyfriend killing

By: DENICE THIBODEAU
Published: November 16, 2011

CHATHAM — Donna Michelle Barley, the Pittsylvania County woman charged with killing her boyfriend, Michael Brann Terry, pled guilty to second-degree murder in Pittsylvania County Circuit Court Wednesday morning.

Barley, 43, was accused of stabbing Terry, 28, to death on April 17, 2010, during an altercation at their home on Howerton’s Bottom Road.

A jury trial for first-degree murder was scheduled for this week; instead, Commonwealth Attorney David Grimes and Barley’s attorney, James Martin, worked out a plea agreement on Tuesday.

According to the Medical Examiner’s report on file in Pittsylvania County Circuit Court, Terry was stabbed twice, once in the left thigh and once in the chest. The wound to his chest cut the right ventricle to his heart. He also had blunt force injuries to a finger, his face and his right thigh.

In an interview after the plea agreement was accepted by Circuit Court Judge Charles Strauss, Grimes said Terry was expected to claim she killed Terry in self defense.

“She claimed there was a fair amount of domestic violence, including that night,” Grimes said. “But I’m not aware of any times police were called.”

Grimes said Barley did show some signs of injury the night of the incident, including a black eye and some marks on her head, and also showed signs of substance abuse.

Grimes said Barley claimed she and Terry went out that night, returning home at about midnight. Terry went to sleep and Barley went back out again with a friend to buy drugs in Danville. She arrived back home at about 4 a.m., Grimes said.

“She was still visibly intoxicated at 6 a.m. when police got there,” Grimes said.

Asked what the state sentencing guidelines are for second-degree murder, Grimes declined to speculate on what length sentence Barley might receive, noting that the guideline worksheets take many factors into account.

According to Virginia law, Barley could have faced life in prison if she was convicted of first-degree murder. For second-degree murder, the law calls for an imprisonment that can range from a minimum of 20 years to life.

Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 21 in Pittsylvania County Circuit Court.

Thibodeau reports for the Danville Register & Bee.