Background: News footage of James Barnes-Morris in court for his plea hearing on Dec. 29 (WMTV). Inset: Brooke Strattan (Madison Police Department).

Law & Crime previously detailed that Barnes-Morris was last observed with Strattan on the morning of September 30, 2024. Not long after, the grim discovery of Strattan’s body was made in a retention pond, confirming the worst fears of those who knew her. The circumstances leading up to her disappearance were fraught with tension, as court documents reveal a heated argument between the couple witnessed by several friends just days prior. Strattan, visibly shaken, left with another male friend, voicing her fear that Barnes-Morris “was truly going to kill her.” Her fears, tragically, were not unfounded.

The investigation took a decisive turn with the issuance of a search warrant at the time of Barnes-Morris’ arrest. After being last seen walking with Strattan, Barnes-Morris appeared at a friend’s house, allegedly confessing, “I had to get rid of her.” He elaborated on the difficulty he faced due to the “weeds” and his need for “more bricks and rope.” The friend, who later spoke with detectives, described Barnes-Morris as being drenched and having bloody scratches on his legs, painting a grim picture of the events that transpired.

According to court documents, the couple fought in front of several friends a few days before Strattan went missing. Strattan went home with another male friend and expressed her fear that Barnes-Morris “was truly going to kill her.”

Police alleged in a search warrant at the time of Barnes-Morris’ arrest that hours after he was seen walking with Strattan, he showed up at a friend’s house. Detectives said that he told the friend, “I had to get rid of her,” he “needed more bricks and rope,” and that “the weeds made it hard.” When police spoke to the friend, he said that Barnes-Morris was wet and had bloody scratches on his legs.

Barnes-Morris was found hiding in a friend’s basement on Oct. 3, 2024, the day Strattan’s body was found. He had her phone and credit cards.

The Dane County District Attorney’s Office charged Barnes-Morris with first-degree intentional homicide with a domestic abuse modifier and first-degree reckless homicide with a domestic abuse modifier. The intentional homicide charge was dropped as part of the plea agreement. Local NBC affiliate WMTV reported that Barnes-Morris faces up to 60 years in prison at sentencing.