
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, July 14, 1995                   TAG: 9507140124
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-4   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: CHATHAM                                 LENGTH: Short

PITTSYLVANIA MAN GUILTY OF MURDER IN WIFE'S DEATH

A Pittsylvania County jury took just 23 minutes Wednesday to convict Melvin Barksdale of firing six shots from a .357-caliber Magnum handgun into his wife on Christmas Day as her three terrified children watched.

It took the jury longer - 90 minutes - to recommend Barksdale serve 25 years for the murder and three years for using a gun to kill Annie Barksdale. He faced a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Melvin Barksdale, 48, fired all six bullets in his gun and, when it was empty, spilled the spent shells onto the floor and slapped and cursed his wife. Then he took his wife's car keys and wallet, left the trailer and went to a friend's house.

Defense attorneys William H. Hicklin and Charles Strauss tried to convince the jury that Barksdale had acted in the heat of passion and did not intend to kill his wife.

Commonwealth's Attorney David Grimes told the jury that if Melvin Barksdale had intended only to wound Annie Barksdale, he would have stopped with one bullet.

- Associated Press

Keywords:
FATALITY

by CNB