A Norfolk, Virginia court sentenced Kristin Barber, a 37-year-old woman, on Monday to 20 years in prison following her guilty plea of second-degree murder and child neglect. The incident occurred on October 7, 2023 when Barber shot Eldon Valery, then aged 59, while he was driving along Lynnhaven Parkway with their nine-year-old child in the backseat.
According to court documents signed by Barber herself, she had been arguing with Valery throughout the day. As Valery drove toward Indian River Road and Lynnhaven Parkway, his phone began ringing. When Barber reached for it, she discovered her 9mm pistol beneath it. Angered that Valery was in possession of a firearm which he wasn’t supposed to have, Barber used the gun to fire a single shot at him.
The bullet struck Valery in the head, causing him to lose control of the vehicle. The child and Barber managed to stop the car by reaching the brake pedal before it came to rest on Lynnhaven Parkway. Despite emergency medical services being called immediately, Valery was taken to Virginia Beach General Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries a week later.
Barber faced multiple charges including reckless handling of a firearm, aggravated malicious wounding, and shooting in a vehicle along with child neglect. However, after Valery’s death, the charge list was amended to second-degree murder for Barber's actions that day. She pleaded guilty to these charges earlier this year during an April hearing.
This tragic incident underscores the risks associated with domestic disputes involving firearms and highlights the severe consequences such conflicts can have on innocent bystanders like children present in vehicles at the time of violent altercations.