Husband forced wife to behead 'love rival'

When Armando Barron discovered that his wife had sent Snapchat messages to a male colleague, it led to a brutal revenge murder

- GAIL SHORTLAND

Perhaps it was no surprise that Armando Barron checked his wife’s phone messages on the night of 19 September 2020. Britany, then 31, had recently told him she wanted a divorce.

The couple had been together since they were teenagers and had three children. Barron, 30, was looking for answers to why Britany was saying she didn’t love him anymore. He couldn’t stand the thought that his wife might be speaking to other men.

Unfortunately, Barron did find something on Britany’s Snapchat account. She was sending messages to a colleague at the medical manufacturing company where she worked, in Jaffrey, New Hampshire.

That man was Jonathan Amerault, 25, and he lived in Keene, 20 miles from Jaffrey, where he’d just bought a new home. He was an engineer, who loved hiking, climbing mountains and generally just being outdoors.

Jonathan and Britany had been working on a project together and had been exchanging messages. There was no evidence they were having an affair – but Barron thought the messages were flirtatious and was furious.

That Saturday night, Jonathan received a message that would seal his fate. On the following Monday, he didn’t turn up for work and was reported missing. His family and friends said that they hadn’t heard from him in two days.

Investigators discovered that, on that same day, Britany had called her work to say she wouldn’t be in. In fact, she said she was quitting and wouldn’t be back ever again.

HORRIFIC DISCOVERY

Two days after that, hunters spotted a makeshift camp in a remote woodland spot north of Errol, which was 200 miles upstate. They found Britany and told her that she was camping in a restricted area, and that she was in danger, because it was close to a bear baiting site.