By Bonita Wilborn
On Friday, March 1, 2019, 11-year-old Amberly Alexis Barnett disappeared from her aunt’s home in Collinsville located in the Mt. Vernon community of DeKalb County. DeKalb County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to County Road 822 in Mt. Vernon around 7:30pm.
The search began immediately after the call came in to the sheriff’s office and continued throughout the night, growing in manpower and spreading to nearby Cherokee County and into Georgia.
DeKalb County Sheriff, Nick Welden, confirmed in a press conference held on Saturday that Amberly’s body was found Saturday morning around 6:30am. “We are diligently, diligently pursuing different avenues and, Lord willing, we will have answers in the upcoming days,” Welden began.
At that time Sheriff Welden did not release the cause of Amberly’s death or any other information because of the ongoing investigation. He also declined to take questions from reporters at the brief press conference.
“I want to say directly from the heart, being in this career, in this job, the way we do it is 100% from the heart,” Welden said. “And my heart is shattered this day, here in DeKalb County, Alabama.”
Then on Monday, March 04, 2019, Sheriff Welden held another press conference where he reported, “We would like to announce that an arrest has been made in the case of 11-year-old Amberly Alexis Barnett’s death. Christopher Wayne Madison, age 33, has been arrested and charged with Capital Murder. He is being held without bond.”
Welden continued, “Amberly’s body was found in a wooded area approximately 200 yards behind the defendant’s home. I will tell you that her death was due to strangulation, but due to the ongoing investigation, and in order not to jeopardize that investigation, I am not at liberty to disclose any additional information concerning this case.”
He said, “The road to justice is my main concern and my staff’s main concern. I would like to thank our staff and all other departments that assisted on this case. It was a true joint effort, a team effort between multiple agencies who all worked tirelessly to help us get to this point.”
In a more personal tone, Welden then stated, “I said my heart was shattered a few days ago. My heart is still shattered, but I’m proud of our staff and the way we pulled together and the way we worked. I know people demand answers, but I took this job to be professional and to do the job to the best of my ability. With that being said, our main focus is justice for a sweet angel that gained her wings. That’s where I stand firmly. Please stand behind us. Please pray for us and please pray for the family. As a community, as a county, as a state, as an entire government, we need to pray. God bless you.”
If you have any information about this investigation contact the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office at (256) 845-3801.