A 40-year-old Colorado man has been charged with killing his wife after authorities determined that the evidence at the scene did not support his account that she died by suicide.

Lindsey Barnett, 37, a school teacher and mother of two young children, was found ᴅᴇᴀᴅ in the shower of the family’s home in Lakewood on the morning of August 13, 2026. She had suffered a severe wound to her throat. Her husband, Patrick Theodore Barnett, called emergency services around 6 a.m. and told the dispatcher that his wife had cut herself.

According to the arrest affidavit, Patrick said he had spent the previous night sleeping in the basement after an argument with Lindsey. He claimed he went upstairs later to apologize and discovered her body in the shower. He told investigators that Lindsey had been struggling with postpartum depression following the birth of their second child in February 2025.

Police, however, said the physical evidence contradicted the suicide narrative. Investigators observed bruises on Lindsey’s arms and legs, including marks that appeared consistent with defensive injuries. A significant amount of blood was found on one side of the couple’s bed, while the bathroom contained relatively little blood given the nature of the wound. Blood patterns in the bathroom suggested the body may have been moved after the injury occurred. A plant near the bed had been knocked over, and soil from the pot had been dragged in the direction of the bathroom. A small bloody footprint, believed to belong to a woman, was located between the bed and the bathroom.

Further investigation revealed that Patrick had been involved in an extramarital relationship with a woman he met online approximately three months earlier. That woman contacted authorities for a wellness check after Patrick stopped responding to her messages. She told police she believed the couple was planning to divorce and that Patrick had claimed Lindsey had attempted suicide the previous weekend and been admitted to a psychiatric facility.

Lindsey’s mother, Donna Ott, provided a different account to investigators. She acknowledged that her daughter had experienced depression in the past but said Lindsey had not shown recent symptoms of the condition and had never attempted to harm herself. Ott also told police that Patrick had been verbally abusive toward her daughter on previous occasions. She described Lindsey as a loving mother who was looking forward to the start of the new school year.

Patrick Theodore Barnett has been charged with first-degree murder. Additional felony charges related to tampering with a deceased body and physical evidence have also been reported. He is being held without bond at the Jefferson County Jail. A court appearance was scheduled for August 20, 2026.

Authorities have not publicly stated a motive. The case remains under the jurisdiction of the Lakewood Police Department and the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

Sources : New York Post, PEOPLE