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Call to Action: Angela Barrentine
3.9k Plays3 years ago
Sleuthhounds, we need your help. We at Coffee and Cases have been asked to help spread the word about this case.
Here is the contact information we mentioned in the episode:
Warren County, Mississippi
Sheriff: Martin Pace, Jr.
https://uncovered.com/cases/angela-barrentine-vicksburg-ms/sources
Warren County Sheriff’s Department e-mail: warrencounty_s@yahoo.com and https://co.warren.ms.us/contact-us/
Phone: 1 (601) 636- 1761
Letters can be mailed to:
Martin Pace, Jr.
1000 Grove StreetVicksburg, Mississippi 39183-2539
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Transcript
Introduction and Call to Action
00:00:00
Speaker
Sleuthhounds, we have a special surprise bonus episode for you today, coming courtesy of information from our friend Paige over at Reverie True Crime podcast. But we don't want you to sit passively and just listen to this episode. This one comes with a very clear call to action at the end.
00:00:26
Speaker
We want you to help answer that call. Specific information that you may need will be included in the show notes.
Podcast Introduction and Listener Engagement
00:01:10
Speaker
Welcome to Coffee and Cases where we like our coffee hot and our cases cold. My name is Allison Williams. And my name is Maggie Dameron. We will be telling stories each week in the hopes that someone out there with any information concerning the cases will take those tips to law enforcement. So justice and closure can be brought to these families.
00:01:29
Speaker
With each case, we encourage you to continue in the conversation on our Facebook page, Coffee and Cases podcast, because, as we all know, conversation helps to keep the missing person in the public consciousness, helping to keep their memories alive. So sit back, sip your coffee, and listen to what's brewing this week.
Angela Schultz Shires Barrentine's Case Overview
00:01:47
Speaker
Angela Schultz Shires Barrentine was a married mother of one from Vicksburg, Mississippi. She was only 27 years old when she left her home on November 24, 2004, to make a quick run to the store for cigarettes at 6.30 p.m. But she never returned home. She was reported missing the next day when she didn't show up to Thanksgiving dinner at her grandparents' house.
00:02:18
Speaker
Angela was born and raised in Vicksburg, Mississippi by Joey and Deborah Schultz and lived in Vicksburg all her life. She attended St. Aloysius Vicksburg High School. After she graduated, she attended Heinz Community College. And Angela loved NASCAR, baking, going fishing with her little girl, Ginger, watching pro wrestling, riding horses, and working in her yard.
00:02:47
Speaker
Angela had a job at Morgan's Best Way and a Shawnee's restaurant. The church she went to was the St. Michael Catholic Church. Eventually, Angela would go on to marry a man named Daniel Barrentine three weeks before her disappearance. He was home with Angela's daughter, Ginger Leanne Shires, the day that Angela disappeared.
00:03:14
Speaker
Angela was five foot tall and about 85 pounds. She had black hair, green eyes, and tattoos on her thigh, both ankles, and both shoulders. She was wearing a red long-sleeved shirt and jeans the last time that she was seen.
00:03:33
Speaker
The family makes it no secret that Angela struggled with drugs since she was a teenager and likely knew a lot of shady characters. However, she had the biggest heart and would do absolutely anything in the world for her daughter. There was no question that she was an amazing mother who loved her little girl very much.
Discovery of Angela's Remains and Investigation
00:03:51
Speaker
Angela's sister Stacy insisted they check the Big Black River. She was adamant about it. In August of 2005, when the water level dropped to seven and a half feet, police could see a vehicle poking up out of the water. Angela's skeletal remains were found inside of her upside down green and purple 1997 Ford F-150 pickup truck in that river located south of Highway 80 near the Kansas City Southern Railroad Bridge at the Warren County and Hines County line.
00:04:19
Speaker
According to the Vicksburg Post, police stated her truck likely made it into the river by way of the Warrior Trail roadway, a mile upstream. The truck may have floated due to the air inside the cab before it overturned and sank, I cannot imagine. The location was so isolated that a trackhoe had to be used to pull the truck out of the Big Black River. Due to her being discovered in the middle of both counties, each had to investigate.
00:04:44
Speaker
Angela Berenzine, new drug users and dealers in Warren County and Hines County. And it was confirmed that she had been seen with two men in the town of Edwards on November 25th.
Suspicions of Foul Play
00:04:53
Speaker
She was near the roads of Belknap and Military around noon. That was the last known sighting of her. Family and others speculate that she went to Edwards possibly for drugs. Angela's mother Deborah stated, quote, even if she did do wrong, she's still my daughter and you don't stop loving your child just because she did something bad. End quote.
00:05:15
Speaker
Angela's husband, Daniel, was cleared by the police of any involvement in her death. There were also no indications that she would ever run away or end her life. Witnesses who saw her on the 25th around noon said they were told by Angela that she was on her way back home.
Family's Quest for Answers
00:05:34
Speaker
She had helped some friends move materials using her truck. The men she may have possibly been with are Kenny Bingham, Kelvin Washington, and a man who we only know as G-Pain. Witnesses said that on November 25th, she was seen dropping Kelvin off near Butts Road and Jacobs Drive.
00:05:56
Speaker
going toward Belknap Road. Her remains were sent off to Pearl, Mississippi to the Rankin County morgue on August 3, 2005, where she was examined and positively identified.
00:06:11
Speaker
Angela's death was never ruled an accident or homicide. It was ruled undetermined. But the sheriff, Martin Pace, highly suspected foul play was involved. He is still the sheriff of Warren County today. Evidence was supposedly sent to the Mississippi Crime Lab to be tested.
00:06:34
Speaker
Her daughter, Ginger Lewis, is not receiving any answers and the police are not helping. They have kept the case open for 18 years, claiming that the case is still an open investigation. Ginger's mother was taken away from her when she was only nine years old. She's now 27 years old, the same age as her mother when she died.
Defining Cold Cases and Case Inconsistencies
00:07:01
Speaker
and Ginger herself is a loving mother of five beautiful children. She might be grown now,
00:07:08
Speaker
But that nine year old little girl that still lives in her heart only remembers the best things that she and her mother ever did together. She had that ripped away from her. And this has been a traumatic experience for her. Ginger is begging for answers. Ginger doesn't have a single item of her mother's. She gave everything that she had to the police.
00:07:32
Speaker
and they haven't given her any of the items back, including photos, over the past 18 years.
00:07:40
Speaker
In 2004, Angela's mother, Deborah Cummins, told the Vicksburg Post, quote, somebody here knows something and we want somebody to tell us. We would like some answers. We want closure, end quote. Police are basically holding the case hostage. Not Demi in a cold case, seemingly so Ginger nor anyone else can obtain the case files. They claim this is not a quote, crime case yet.
00:08:05
Speaker
They do have clothing and pubic hair in evidence. It's also written in black and white in the newspapers that they sent this evidence to the Mississippi Crime Lab. The Mississippi Cold Case Unit has been contacted and they confirmed it is still an open and active case. By definition, it is not.
00:08:21
Speaker
Quote, an open investigation means the case is still actively being investigated by police. To be considered an open investigation, law enforcement must still be investigating the matter and enforcement proceedings must still be contemplated. End quote.
00:08:37
Speaker
On the other hand, quote, a cold case is a crime or a suspected crime that has not yet been fully resolved and is not the subject of a current criminal investigation, but for which new information could emerge from new testimony, reexamine archives, new or retained material evidence or fresh activities of a suspect. New technological methods developed after the crime was committed can be used on the surviving evidence to analyze causes, often with conclusive results.
Conflicting Information from Authorities
00:09:07
Speaker
Also, a case is technically considered cold if a cause of death hasn't been determined, hasn't been solved within a year, and as a result has been closed from further regular investigations." We want you to also be aware of these additional facts in Angela's case. Hines County Sheriff's Department claims there is no case file on Angela and that they only assisted Warren County with leads.
00:09:34
Speaker
Edwards Police Department refuses to answer any questions. Warren County Sheriff's Department claims they only helped the Vicksburg Police Department with a missing person case and never opened a file, but also refused to answer questions because the case is, quote, still open and pending. Clothing and hair evidence was sent to the Mississippi Crime Lab, but they claim there's no evidence.
Call for Listener Action
00:10:03
Speaker
The Vicksburg Police Department only has a missing persons report. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation Cold Case Unit says the case is still open and refuses to release any information to family or private investigators that could help bring a resolution and closure for the family.
00:10:23
Speaker
We, along with several other true crime podcasters and bloggers, are lucky to be working with the wonderful team at uncovered.com. But we also need your help, Sleuthhounds. We would absolutely love if you all that are listening
00:10:39
Speaker
could call or email or both the Warren County Sheriff's Department and ask them these things. One, who is the active investigator of Angela's case? No investigator has ever been identified in these 18 years. Two, why is the case still open if it hasn't been solved in almost 20 years and there have been no leads that anyone knows of in all of these years?
00:11:03
Speaker
3. If the case is not being investigated at this time, why is it not a closed case or why isn't it closed? 4. Why do they seem to not want anyone to have access to the case files so citizen detectives and cold case units can assist with an investigation to solve her case? Also, why won't they allow anyone to help them with the investigation?
00:11:25
Speaker
5. Why will they not give Ginger back her mother's items? They have in their possession photos, keys, sunglasses, among other possessions that belong to Angela. I'm sure Ginger would like those back. 6. The autopsy report says there were photos attached but when Ginger received the autopsy just recently, no photos came with it. So where are these autopsy photos?
00:11:48
Speaker
The phone number for the Warren County Sheriff's Department is 601-636-1761. You can even write a letter to Martin Pace Jr. at 1000 Grove Street, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39183. Or you can send an email to Warren County underscore S that's W-A-R-R-E-N
00:12:15
Speaker
C-O-U-N-T-Y underscore S at yahoo.com or go to co.warren.ms.us forward slash contact dash us.
Conclusion and Thank You
00:12:31
Speaker
Angela Barrentine and her daughter Ginger deserve justice. Ginger deserves answers, the truth, and to be able to start healing. She is begging for her mother's case and evidence to be re-examined. We want to thank you. We know that this was unlike our normal episodes, but this one requires your immediate attention and help. So thank you so much to anyone, anywhere,
00:12:59
Speaker
who helps us to get this case more attention and to put pressure on the sheriff to do the right thing, for police to do the bare minimum when it comes to their jobs. We truly appreciate you all. Without you, this would be extremely difficult. Thank you, Sleuthhounds.
00:13:17
Speaker
Again, please like and join our Facebook page, Coffee and Cases podcast to continue the conversation and see images related to this episode. As always, follow us on Twitter, at casescoffee, on Instagram, at coffee cases podcast, or you can always email us suggestions to coffeeandcasespodcastatgmail.com. Please tell your friends about our podcast so more people can be reached to possibly help bring some closure to these families. Don't forget to rate our show and leave us a comment as well. We hope to hear from you soon.
00:13:47
Speaker
Stay together. Stay safe. We'll see you next week.