Troubled life didn't fortell murder
Updated: Friday, 06 Mar 2009, 9:07 PM MST
Published : Friday, 06 Mar 2009, 9:03 PM MST
ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - The Wednesday night murder of Juanita Kraunshuler has friends wondering if they should have seen the warning signs in the suspect, her son.
Christopher Barbera is charged with choking his mother to death at her home near Central Avenue and 10th Street NW.
“For a mother to give as much as she gave for that to happen, that is the sadness of it,” said Danny Martinez, who was Christopher Barbera’s caretaker for the past month and a half.
Barbera has a history of mental illness. Investigators have said he admitted to killing his 66-year-old mother.
Police reports showed that in the past 13 years they dealt with Barbera as a missing person, a shoplifter and a man who attempted suicide.
The reports described Barbera on various occasions as “paranoid,” with “manic-depression” and “bipolar compulsive behavior.”
But most of those were missing-person reports. The only time Barbera appeared harmful was to himself.
Thirteen years ago he was struck with a car after running into traffic, and three years ago he stabbed himself with a butcher’s knife.
Comments that are derogatory, attack other users, offer unsubstantiated facts, use foul language or are offensive in nature can and will be removed as defined by the Terms of Service. KRQE is not responsible for the content posted in this comment section. We reserve the right to remove any offensive or off-topic remark or thread. To mark a comment for review by a moderator, click "Report."
Email This
Print This
View Story on a Single Page