Athens hotel stabbing leads to arrest

ATHENS – Our news partners at KETK report a Palestine man is behind bars for a Thursday hotel stabbing where one was hospitalized and a bloodied room with signs of a struggle was left behind, a warrant said. According to the Athens Police Department, officers responded to a stabbing at around 2:15 a.m. at the Victorian Inn hotel on 1803 SH 31 East in Athens. The warrant said police found the 37-year-old victim on the sidewalk outside of room 118 with stab wounds to the face, chest and abdomen. The victim told officers he had gotten into an argument inside the room with his acquaintance identified as 50-year-old Kerry Barnett, of Palestine. The documents state the victim told police Barnett had stabbed him with a knife and was still inside room 118. The victim was taken to the hospital for treatment, a probable cause affidavit said.

With the help of hotel management, police got access into the hotel room after Barnett refused to open the door. He ended up locking himself in the room’s bathroom where officers could hear the shower and toilet flushing, according to the documents.

Police forced entry and placed him into custody. According to the affidavit, officers saw signs of struggle and large amount of blood throughout the room.

“They also observed and secured three knifes, two of which had what appeared to be blood on them,” the documents said.

Barnett was booked into the Henderson County Jail where he was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence. He is being held on a total $82,500 bond.