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A case that has shaken South Carolina’s Upstate to its core – devastating multiple families in the process – is slated to return to the courtroom next week. Three defendants linked to the death of 20-year-old Jessica Barnes are scheduled to appear before S.C. circuit court judge Jessica Salvini in Anderson County.
Next Monday (April 7, 2025), 20-year-old Victoria Tippett will appear in court for the first time since her initial appearance last October (.pdf). Meanwhile, next Thursday (April 10, 2025), 21-year-old Kendall Mims will return to court for a second bond hearing (.pdf) after circuit court judge R. Scott Sprouse previously declined to set bond for her in December. That same day, 22-year-old Brandon Barnes – who stands accused of strangling his wife to death and participating in the burning and concealment of her remains – will have his second court appearance.
Depending on the information disclosed by prosecutors, arguments made by defense attorneys and decisions made by Salvini – these three hearings could significantly alter the trajectory of this complex and painful case as it advances.
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All three defendants are facing charges in connection with the murder of Jessica Barnes on August 2, 2024. Barnes, Jessica’s husband, is accused of murdering his late wife. Tippett and Mims are both charged as accessories after the fact, obstruction of justice and misprision of a felony. Both women are accused of helping conceal and dispose of Jessica’s body.
At the center of this case is a gut-wrenching paradox — two grieving mothers sitting on opposite sides of the courtroom, both rising to advocate on behalf of their daughters.
Cecilia Varvara, the mother of Jessica Barnes, is expected to be present at this week’s hearings – as she has been throughout these proceedings. But this time, she is also lending her support to an extraordinary request: that one of the co-defendants in her daughter’s case be granted bond.
In a letter submitted to the court ahead of defendant Kendall Mims’ second bond hearing, Varvara wrote:
“Kendall is not only a defendant in this matter — she is also a victim. She has endured ongoing abuse, strangulation, psychological manipulation, and deeply disturbing conditioning that have left lasting trauma on her physical and mental health. Her current incarceration only deepens that trauma and inhibits her ability to begin the healing process she so desperately needs.
Mims – who is represented by attorney Catherine Wyse of Clemson, S.C. – has been behind bars ever since her arrest in October. Once a college student with dreams of becoming a biomedical engineer, her life was upended after she became romantically involved with Brandon Barnes.
Kendall’s mother, Teresa Mims, will also be in the courtroom – likely seated just a few feet away from Varvara. At December’s hearing, Teresa wept as she described how her daughter slipped further away from her family – and into Brandon Barnes’ grip. As their relationship grew deeper, she became increasingly isolated from her family. Eventually, she was barred from attending school or taking parenting classes after giving birth to her and Barnes’ child last March.
“I have watched this monster Brandon love on my daughter and slowly slip away her life as if he had a noose around her neck – (pulling) it so tightly until she was just a shell of a human,” Teresa Mims told the court in December.
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RELATED | A PERFECT STORM
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Charged with strangling his wife to death inside a pool house in Pendleton, S.C., Brandon Barnes’ history of abuse, manipulation and coercive control spans multiple states and victims, according to police.
Did that manipulation extend to his two alleged co-conspirators?
Tippett’s attorney, Hunter Blouin, has argued that she, too, was caught in Barnes’ web.
“I believe Victoria most definitely should be granted a reasonable bond,” Blouin said. “She has no prior criminal history, is not accused of murdering Jessica Barnes, is not accused of perpetrating any violent act on anyone, and I do not believe is a danger to the community or a flight risk.”
“She is young and impressionable and, as shown in the (preliminary hearing), got involved with a man who was described by multiple witnesses (and) per the officer’s testimony as being extremely manipulative and who perpetrated acts of violence against women… including women not involved in this case,” he added.
Tippett is accused of helping Barnes purchase the tote and shovel used to dispose of Jessica’s body. Surveillance footage, text messages and data from a GPS tracker placed on a vehicle by Mims’ grandfather will likely be central to the prosecution’s argument against bond.
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But for Kendall Mims, the plea for leniency comes not just from her own family — but now, from the mother of the woman whose murder is at the heart of it all.
“This is not a request to excuse wrongdoing, but rather a plea to recognize the complex and painful realities that have shaped Kendall’s involvement in this case,” Varvara wrote. “She is not a danger to the community — she is someone who urgently needs care, compassion, and a second chance to rebuild her life.”
Kendall’s infant daughter, now just over a year old, remains in the care of her great-grandfather, Ron Herrin — the man who seemingly provided key evidence to aid in the recovery of Jessica’s remains.
As these hearings unfold, the Anderson County courthouse is likely to serve as more than just a legal forum — it will be a place where the depths of sorrow, scars of trauma and the fierce power of maternal love are laid bare. In a twist no one could have foreseen, the mother of the victim and the mother of the accused will sit just a few rows apart — both asking for justice, both asking for mercy and both grieving lives that will never be the same.
Count on FITSNews to be in Anderson County this week as this unfolding true crime saga moves forward…
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THE LETTER…
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Jenn Wood is FITSNews’ incomparable research director. She’s also the producer of the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts and leading expert on all things Murdaugh/ South Carolina justice. A former private investigator with a criminal justice degree, evildoers beware, Jenn Wood is far from your average journalist! A deep dive researcher with a passion for truth and a heart for victims, this mom of two is pretty much a superhero in FITSNews country. Did we mention she’s married to a rocket scientist? (Lucky guy!) Got a story idea or a tip for Jenn? Email her at jenn@fitsnews.com.
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