Man charged in murder of missing Cedartown 11-year-old
CEDARTOWN — The DeKalb County, Alabama, sheriff said they’ve charged a man with murder in the death of a missing girl.
During a press conference on March 4, Sheriff Nick Welden said that 33-year-old Christopher Wayne Madison of Cedar Bluff has been charged in connection with the murder of 11-year-old Amberly Alexis Barnett, according to WEIS radio.
According to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office website Madison was arrested on the evening of March 2 and charged with possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.
Madison is being held at the DeKalb County Jail without bond.
Barnett went missing on March 1 at around 6 p.m. in Collinsville, Alabama, from an aunt’s house across state lines. The 11-year-old was previously a resident with her family of Cedartown and attended Northside Elementary School in the past. She was the daughter of Brian Pope and Jonie Barnett.
A 12-hour search ended when the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office reported that she was found dead the following morning at an undisclosed location.
Funeral arrangements for Amberly are being handled by Olin Gammage and Sons Funeral Home in
Cedartown. Condolences for the family can be posted on
the page, and updates about plans for services will be added online as soon as possible.
A GoFundMe to help the family of Amberly Barnett was closed after making just
shy of $7,100 to cover funeral costs after police announced her death the previous weekend, according to the organizer of the fund.
The fundraising effort begun by the Cedartown High School Class of 2009 over the weekend initially had a $2,000 goal and surpassed it in three days online. The fund was established to help cover funeral costs for Barnett.