Sheridan murders trial: Angry letter found near suspected murder weapon

Donald Fredres railed against his ex-wife, her lover and her mother. He denounced his landlord, boss and his own family. It was all in a letter retrieved near what prosecutors said was the murder weapon.

Prosecutors disclosed the letter Wednesday during Fredres’ trial for multiple felonies led by first-degree murder. Fredres, 38, of Sandwich faces life in prison if convicted of killing his former in-laws, Brenda and Gregory Barnes Sr. He also faces companion charges, including attempted murder for trying to kill ex-wife Jenell Johnson.

The letter was read aloud. In it, Fredres described his years-long anger over the dissolution of his marriage, losing custody of his children and being taunted at work over his personal troubles.

“Please put in [the] newspaper: I took my own life,” the letter stated. He concluded with a profane statement that the cause of his death would not be COVID-19.

That may provide a motive for the killings March 16, 2021; but prosecutors are trying to forensically link Fredres to the Sheridan crime scene, too.

A pathologist, Dr. Scott Denton, testified Greg Barnes Sr. died from a close-range shot to the head, while Brenda Barnes died from two shots to her neck and chest. An X-ray taken of Greg Barnes’ body revealed a shell casing found near a shoulder.

That matched casings found in the Sheridan house where he and Brenda were shot to death. It also matched shells in the 9-mm pistol found near the spot where Fredres surrendered to police early St. Patrick’s Day 2021.

Fredres’ lawyer, Ottawa defense attorney Ryan Hamer, tried to downplay the recovery of the casings.

“Wouldn’t you agree it’s a common round?” Hamer asked.

“It can be, yes,” answered Erik Fricke, a crime scene investigator.

“You’re not able to tell us how many rounds are produced, are you?” Hamer pressed.

“No.”

But prosecutors aren’t necessarily needed to build a circumstantial case. Instead, they need to corroborate a statement Fredres gave police after his arrest, which will be played for the jury later this week.

In it, Fredres reportedly admitted shooting his former in-laws in their Sheridan home after they refused to disclose the whereabouts of their daughter, Jenell Johnson. Prosecutors allege Fredres then drove to Johnson’s home and tried to kill her, too.

Fredres and Hamer are spotlighting forensic deficiencies in the state’s case. Under cross-examination Wednesday, Fricke said he was unable to lift fingerprints, footprints or video footage from household cameras inside the Barnes’ home. CSI Daniel Erickson testified he swabbed the wheel and gear shift of the suspect vehicle, a black Cadillac, for gunshot residue but those swabs never were tested.

Prosecutors have multiple exhibits placing Fredres inside the Cadillac found running outside Johnson’s home. Investigators also retrieved from the car a hunting knife, hammer, ammunition and Fredres’ photo ID.

And investigators recovered a sales receipt showing Fredres bought ammunition from a Rural King in Plano. Surveillance cameras and the receipt placed him at the store the day of the shootings.

The trial resumes Thursday at the La Salle County Criminal Justice Center on Etna Road in Ottawa. Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr. advised jurors the case would extend into Friday.