Clayton County

‘We still can’t believe it:’ Family reacts to death of woman who was falsely imprisoned, shot

CLAYTON COUNTY — The man accused of kidnapping and murdering a woman in Clayton County is now in jail without bond.

Kevin Barge was accused of killing his girlfriend, Carolyn Griffin, on July 5.

Police found Griffin with her hands and feet tied together in a bedroom suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

Officers also found a second victim who had been able to escape and ran to a neighbor’s home to call the police. Tuesday night, Barge turned himself in.

Channel Two’s Tom Jones was live in Clayton County on Wednesday and spoke to the victim’s family.

Carolyn Griffin’s family says they thought she was going to pull through after she initially survived the shooting in her apartment here, but she recently passed away.

The children of the 60-year-old Griffin still can’t understand why their mother’s boyfriend would shoot her.

TRENDING STORIES:

Griffin’s daughter, Maya, shared her family’s pain, speaking to Channel 2 on Wednesday.

“For her to turn around and die because she loved so much it do something to me,” Maya Griffin said.

Barge had his first virtual court hearing on Wednesday, where he heard the many charges he faces.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

“We can’t...we still can’t believe it,” Deborah Griffin said.

A friend of Griffin’s who was inside the apartment when she was shot told police Griffin and Barge started arguing.

Sherry Smith says she left the room, which is when she heard gunshots.

Smith says Barge then pistol-whipped her and hogtied her and Griffin and then left

Smith managed to free herself and call for help.

Griffin’s family says Smith was their angel that night.

“We love you, Sherry. God be with you,” Griffin’s family said.

Griffin’s daughter, Courtney Buffin, said she he always knew something wasn’t right about Barge.

“He was too quiet and too sneaky,” Buffin said.

Barge faces a long list of charges, including aggravated assault, kidnapping, false imprisonment, theft by taking and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Those charges could be upgraded to include murder now that Griffin has died.

Barge is being held without bond.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS