By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-20 02:56:03 | Updated at 2026-08-20 03:13:03
20 minutes ago
A Colorado mother of two said to be suffering from postpartum depression was found dead in her shower last week — in what her sleazebag husband claimed was a tragic suicide.
Now, Patrick Theodore Barnett has been charged with the murder of his wife, Lindsey Barnett.
The 37-year-old was found with her throat slit in the bloodied shower in their Lakewood home during the early morning hours on Aug. 13, PEOPLE reported, citing the Lakewood Police Department.
Around 6 a.m., Patrick frantically called 911 and claimed that his wife had “cut herself and her throat,” according to an arrest affidavit obtained by the outlet.
The 40-year-old husband allegedly told cops that he had slept in the basement the night before and had gone upstairs to apologize to his wife for a dispute they had — when he found her body in the shower.
Patrick told investigators that Lindsey, who worked as a school teacher and gave birth to their second child in February 2025, suffered from postpartum depression.
But the evidence did not match Patrick’s suicide story, cops said in the affidavit.
Cops examined Lindsey’s body and found she was covered in bruises, including on her arms and legs — some of which appeared to be defensive wounds, court papers said.
One side of the couple’s bed was also found drenched in a large amount of blood but the bathroom where Lindsey was found showed little evidence of blood, according to police.
And blood patterns in the bathroom suggested that Lindsey’s body had been repositioned, the affidavit said.
A plant next to the bed had been knocked over and some of the soil had been dragged into the bathroom — and cops discovered a “dainty” bloodied footprint, likely from a female, between the bed and the bathroom.
Investigators learned that Patrick was having an affair with a woman he met online three months ago and that the mistress had called for a wellness check on him Thursday afternoon after he’d gone quiet, the affidavit alleges.
That woman told police that Patrick said he was going to divorce Lindsey and claimed she had been in a psychiatric unit and attempted suicide the weekend before.
While Lindsey’s mother, Donna Ott, told police that although her daughter had previously suffered from depression, she had not experienced any symptoms recently nor had she ever attempted suicide.
Ott also claimed that Patrick had been verbally abusive towards her daughter in the past — and grieved that Lindsay loved her kids and was looking forward to the start of the new school year.
Patrick is being held without bond at the Jefferson County Jail, according to Lakewood police.
He is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 20.
