SC man tied to multiple sexual assault cases seeks release from jail. Did judge grant it?
A Conway man allegedly linked to multiple sexual assault cases in the 2000s was denied bond Tuesday after requesting it for the third time since being arrested in 2022.
Randy Earl Barnhill, 59, is tied to sexual assault cases going back to 2000. He’s been accused of forcibly entering women’s homes and trapping them next to their cars before sexually assaulting them, The Sun News previously reported.
One of the victims of the alleged assaults sent a letter that the judge read, but not out loud in court. Another victim was present but did not speak.
Morgan Martin, Barnhill’s attorney, stated in a hearing that Barnhill is “entitled to bond” because people charged with more serious crimes, such as murder, have been given bond. He also said Barnhill has been in jail for over two years without a conviction.
Barnhill has been at J. Reuben Long Detention Center since his arrest on June 9, 2022. He’s facing 14 charges, including kidnapping, first-degree criminal sexual conduct and burglary.
Martin suggested Barnhill could live with his mother nearby under house arrest or a similar condition.
Prosecutor Leigh Andrew Waller asked that bond be denied for Barnhill because he has been convicted of crimes since the 2000s and is currently on the sex offender registry. She also said she believes Barnhill’s alleged crimes are of a similar nature to murder.
“(Barnhill) is the worst kind of danger to the community,” Andrew Waller said.
Barnhill requested bond in May 2023, with Martin arguing Barnhill was not a threat to the community. Martin also said Barnhill was not offered a plea deal and his trial is likely more than a year away, The Sun News previously reported.
Both bonds were denied because the judge stated he is a threat.
This story was originally published October 29, 2024 at 4:47 PM.
