A man from Jaffrey, New Hampshire, appeared in court Friday on charges of capital murder in the death of a man authorities say had been having an affair with his wife.
In court documents released Friday, authorities allege that Armando Barron, 30, kidnapped 25-year-old Jonathan Amerault, of Keene, on Saturday; shot him to death in a car in Rindge and then hid the body at a campsite in the northern part of the state.
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Amerault had been reported missing Monday when he didn't show up to work. It was Tuesday when investigators found his body.
"You have an event here that is incredibly violent," said Senior Assistant New Hampshire Attorney General Ben Agati. "You have an event that commands attention."
Barron is also charged with beating and threatening his wife, Britany Barron, 31, who is accused of decapitating the victim. She is also charged with falsifying evidence, authorities said.
Court documents paint a picture of infidelity and rage in the alleged crime.
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"There was the beginning of an extramarital relationship going on at the time," Agati said.
Britany Barron allegedly told investigators that, when her husband found out that she was having an affair with Amerault, he took her cell phone and used it to lure Amerault to a state park in Rindge.
After Armando Barron shot and killed Amerault, he ordered his wife to drive the body four-and-a-half hours north, according to the court documents.
That's where Britany Barron decapitated the victim, buried his head and wrapped his body in a tarp, according to the prosecutors' documents. She told investigators her husband made her do it.
Armando Barron is also facing several domestic violence charges for allegedly beating his wife at their Jaffrey home and also on the drive to the park to meet Amerault.
At their separate arraignments Friday, both pleaded not guilty to the charges. They are being held without bail until their next court appearances.
While the state’s capital murder law covers deaths during kidnappings and six other scenarios, lawmakers eliminated the death penalty last year. Those convicted under the statute are sentenced to life in prison without parole.
