Kwacey Q. Owens CONVICTED of Murdering Willingboro Man
Thursday, September 28, 2023
Man Convicted of Murder for 2020 Willingboro Shooting
Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw announced that a 32-year-old Willingboro resident was found guilty today by a Superior Court jury of fatally shooting a man three years ago outside of a house in the township’s Millbrook Park neighborhood.
After deliberating for approximately two hours, the panel returned guilty verdicts against Kwacey Q. Owens on charges of Murder (First Degree), Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose (Second Degree), Unlawful Possession of a Weapon (Second Degree). In addition to the conviction, Owens pled guilty to two counts of Certain Persons Not to Have Weapons (Second Degree).
The Hon. Mark P. Tarantino, J.S.C., scheduled sentencing for December 4th in Mount Holly.
The investigation began October 8, 2020 after Willingboro Township police officers were called to the first block of Maplewick Lane just after 1:30 a.m. for a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, they found the body of Barry Barino, 28, outside the rear door of his home.
He was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy performed by Burlington County Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood ruled that Barino’s death was caused by a gunshot wound to the head.
The investigation revealed that Barino and Owens were acquaintances, and that Owens had been inside the victim’s home a short time earlier before luring him outside to kill him. The weapon used in the shooting, a .45 caliber pistol, was recovered inside the residence where Owens had been staying.
Owens was charged with Murder 12 days after the shooting and has been lodged in the Burlington County Jail in Mount Holly since being taken into custody.
Owens was prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Jamie Hutchinson. The investigation was conducted by detectives from the Willingboro Township Police Department and the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office. The lead investigators were BCPO Major Crimes Unit Detective Sergeant Tony Luyber, BCPO Crime Scene Unit Detective Sergeant Tim Horne, BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit Detective Kevin Sobotka and Willingboro Detective Elijah Hart.