The plot thickens in a recent armed robbery case in Liberty County that ended in the death of the intruder. Three Blountstown women accused of helping plan the crime are now behind bars facing murder charges.
Jessica Nicole Long, 19, Heather Marie Ammons, 22, and Mandy Allen, 43, have each been charged with felony second degree murder, along with being a principal in the first degree to felony home invasion robbery with a weapon. According to the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, an anonymous tipster spoke with Correctional Officer Jenny Young last Monday and alleged that Allen and Long had picked up Octavius Barnes at the Riverview RV Park in Bristol on the afternoon of Sunday, July 19, driving a silver car. Later that evening, Barnes, 23, wearing a bandanna around his face and dressed in black like a ninja, forced his way into the home of 82-year-old Bradley Harvell who owns the Slip ‘N Slide bar on CR 333 south of Bristol and resides next door. He allegedly struck Harvell with a stun gun and attempted to take all his money. Harvell wound up pulling a .357 Smith and Wesson and shooting Barnes in the chest and head, resulting in his death. During the investigation that followed on Monday, Deputy Todd Wheetley of the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, along with Sgt. Mark “Kipper” Mallory of the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, located Long, believed to be the driver of the silver car, at her residence on Fuqua Circle in Blountstown. The car was found parked outside and Long agreed to give a taped statement. Later that morning, Dep. Wheetley, Sgt. Mallory, and State Attorney Investigator Steve Mears located Allen on Fannin Avenue in Blountstown. She also gave a statement, but investigators had some problems with the two women’s stories. During a follow-up interview with the women on Tuesday, Long stated that Ammons was also in the vehicle. Upon further questioning, Allen reportedly confessed that the foursome had planned the robbery for some time and had even done a “dry run” about six weeks prior. On that fateful Sunday, she said she and the two other women picked up Barnes, along with a 16-year-old boy, at the Riverview RV Park. Later that night, they dropped Barnes off at the Slip ‘N Slide as planned, then circled around River Road and drove to the location where they’d agreed to pick him up. However, they spotted police lights coming and fled. They continued north on Hwy. 12 and turned right at North Florida Lumber, taking the back roads to Pea Ridge Road and up to SR 20. They dropped the teen off at the RV park, stopped at the BP Station where Long cashed her paycheck, then headed back to Blountstown. Allen stated she received a call from a friend later that night who told her Barnes had been shot and killed. Ammons was then brought in for questioning and investigators told her that Allen had confessed to their involvement. Ammons reportedly began to cry, then gave a statement consistent with Allen’s confession. However, Ammons refused to discuss the division of the stolen money and her involvement in the pre-planning of the robbery. Long was questioned again and advised that Allen and Ammons had both confessed and were under arrest. Long proceeded to give a statement consistent with the other women and admitted to being the driver of the vehicle and performing the “dry run” about six weeks prior. She also said she knew she would receive a portion of the stolen money. The teenage boy in the car that night was accompanied by his mother when he spoke with investigators and corroborated the sequence of events that occurred leading to the death of Barnes. He has not been charged with any crime. If convicted, the three women face life in prison for second degree murder. According to Florida law, if someone is killed during the perpetration or attempt to commit a felony, anyone involved in orchestrating the crime will be charged with murder.
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