A Colorado man, Patrick Theodore Barnett, who claimed his schoolteacher wife died by suicide inside their home, was charged with first-degree murder after forensic investigators unraveled an extramarital affair, a court document states. 

Patrick Theodore Barnett, 40, was arrested by the Lakewood Police following the death of his 37-year-old wife, Lindsey Barnett. Authorities booked him into the Jefferson County Jail without bond after prosecutors filed formal capital charges.

Barnett called the emergency dispatchers shortly after 6 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. He reported finding his wife unresponsive with a slit throat inside a running shower. 

The Colorado cops found Lindsey Barnett with a large neck wound and a five-inch knife nearby on a bathroom mat. 

“A trail of blood was running from the right side of the bed to the bathroom. There was not a lot of blood in the bathroom,” Investigators wrote in the arrest affidavit, noting that the physical evidence directly contradicted Patrick Barnett’s claims of a self-inflicted wound. 

The crime scene reconstruction quickly shifted focus away from the bathroom and back into the primary bedroom. 

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Investigators documented massive blood pools, saturated bedsheets, and blood clots on the couple’s mattress, indicating the fatal violence took place while Lindsey Barnett was in bed before her body was relocated. 

Cops also observed fresh physical injuries across Patrick Barnett’s body,  including defensive scratch marks along his collarbone, chest, abdomen, and arms. Although he claimed his hands were covered in blood when checking his wife’s pulse, police noted his hands were entirely clean when cops arrived, despite visible blood smeared behind his ear and across his neck. 

During questioning, Patrick Barnett initially denied relationship misconduct before admitting to an active extramarital affair. According to court records, he had told his girlfriend that he was undergoing a divorce and claimed his wife suffered from severe mental instability. 

“she had been in a psychiatric unit and attempted suicide the weekend before”

— Patrick Theodore Barnett, Nypost

The cops noted what Patrick said about working on their marriage. 

“He also said they were working on their marriage and he was excited about the prospect of moving back upstairs”

— Investigators (Lakewood Police), Dailymail

However, interviews with family members, including Donna Ott, along with statements from school district officials, portrayed the Colorado mom as a dedicated Jefferson County elementary school teacher who was actively planning for the upcoming school year. 

“Lindsey was a joy to have in our school. She brought a deep passion for teaching art, a sweet soul, and an extraordinary dedication to our students.”

— DeAnn Hoffman (Principal, Hutchinson Elementary), Denverpost

“Lindsay loved her kids and was looking forward to the start of the new school year”

— Donna Ott (Lindsey’s mother), Nypost

Lindsey’s mom also noted that even though her daughter had previously suffered from depression, she had not shown any symptoms recently, nor did she attempt suicide. 

Patrick Barnett remains in custody as formal court proceedings against him move forward.

Patrick is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 20. 

Disclaimer: Inquisitr could not independently confirm the facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available.