MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Olive Branch, Mississippi, Police said a Tennessee woman has been arrested for murder after an investigation into a missing person report led police to human remains.
OBPD said Ashley Bailey Barber, 34, of Saulsberry, Tennessee, is charged with the murder of John Barber, 50, in Hardeman County, TN. They said she is also charged in Olive Branch with desecration of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence.
OBPD said on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023, detectives were investigating a missing person report when they found human remains on Bethel Road. They worked with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, Mississippi Crime Lab, and DeSoto Coroner’s Office to positively identify the remains and try to determine how they ended up in Olive Branch.
Olive Branch Police said after identifying the remains, they worked with Hardeman County Sheriff’s Office to identify the suspect, and Ashley Barber was taken into custody with the help of deputies in Henry County, Virginia.
OBPD said the investigation is ongoing and more charges could come. Anyone with information in the case is asked to call Olive Branch Police at 662-892-9400 or the Hardeman County Sheriff’s Department at 731-609-2401.
