Linda Barnes, a 44-year-old white woman, was found murdered in her Melbourne, Florida apartment on December 12, 1997. Authorities conducting a welfare check discovered her body stuffed inside a closet. The apartment was described as being in disarray, with massive holes in the walls, furniture strewn about, and doors pulled off their frames. An autopsy determined she had been beaten and strangled to death.

The investigation led to the arrest of her estranged husband, James Phillip Barnes, who was apprehended by sheriff’s deputies on December 12, 1997. Reports say a restraining order had prohibited him from approaching Linda. He was charged with her murder and reportedly confessed.

If anyone knew Linda, her routine, or saw suspicious activity near her Melbourne apartment in December 1997, please share what you remember.