Life Sentence for Convicted Murderer
A convicted murderer who killed his ex-girlfriend, Marlin Barnes, a University of Miami linebacker, in a fit of jealousy has had his death sentence overturned. He will now spend life in prison, which has understandably angered those who loved the victim.
LaBrant Dennis received a life sentence without the possibility of parole in a Miami-Dade courtroom on Thursday, nearly 30 years after he was convicted of the brutal murders of Barnes and Timwanika Lumpkins in their campus apartment. NBC Miami reported on this significant development.
Dennis, found guilty of serial murder in 1998, spent nearly two decades on death row; however, in 2017, the Florida Supreme Court ordered a new sentencing trial, citing constitutional concerns relating to the state’s death penalty.
The death sentence had originally been imposed in 1999 following a jury’s non-unanimous recommendation, but this was later deemed unconstitutional.
Changes in Florida’s death penalty laws since Dennis’ first sentencing mean a judge can now impose a death penalty if just eight jurors agree.
The prosecution requested that the jury recommend re-execution for Dennis, while the defense argued for his life to be spared, emphasizing his good behavior over the years.
One of his attorneys, Terrence Lenamon, told the jury, “He has served almost 30 years in prison. He is not the same man who was involved in these killings.”
The decision to spare Dennis’ life came as a shock to the court, leaving Barnes’ family devastated by the outcome.
Barnes’ mother, Charlie Potel, expressed her heartbreak, stating, “They’re not going to give me my child back anyway,” while noting that his killer would only face divine judgment for his actions.
Charlicia Preston, Barnes’ sister, echoed her mother’s feelings, insisting that Dennis “ruined our lives” with his crime. She added, “He can escape from man, but he cannot escape from God’s judgment. He’s going to suffer.”
This verdict stirred painful memories of the 1996 murder spree, which left loved ones of both victims—and the University of Miami community—deeply affected.
According to investigators, Dennis encountered Barnes and Lumpkins at a South Beach club the night before the murders, after which he broke into Barnes’ apartment and committed the crime. Both victims, aged 22, suffered severely from the brutal attack; Barnes had been struck over 20 times with the butt of a shotgun.
The gruesome nature of the murders was underscored when Barnes’ roommate, former NFL safety Earl Little, testified that he found the star linebacker “lying with his face crushed and in a pool of blood.”
Barnes was declared dead at the scene, while Lumpkins, who was also a mother to Dennis’ young daughter, succumbed to her injuries en route to the hospital.
Just a week before the murders, Lumpkins had separated from Dennis and sought help from Barnes, a long-time friend.
Though police quickly identified Dennis as a suspect, he wasn’t arrested until a month later, as per the Miami Herald.
Potel described her son as someone devoted to football and community, co-founding a program aimed at protecting youth from drugs and gangs through education and sports while he was attending the University of Miami. He had also been recognized as the team’s Most Improved Player the year he was murdered.
The pain of losing her son remains fresh for Potel: “I am still suffering from indescribable pain. My child had the right to a full and happy life.”
Lumpkins’ best friend, Keisha Carter, testified that Dennis’ actions robbed Lumpkins of the chance to witness significant moments in her daughter’s life. “We were supposed to grow old together,” Carter lamented. “She was supposed to be my daughter’s godmother.”
