Christopher Wayne Madison Sentenced To Life Without Parole

By Sherri Blevins
On March 24, 2022, in a courtroom on the third floor of the DeKalb County Courthouse, Christopher Wayne Madison pled guilty to the 2019 capital murder of 11-year-old Amberly Barnett. Judge Jeremy Taylor sentenced Madison to Life in prison without the possibility of parole.
During the proceeding, Madison was surrounded by his defense team and a silent room full of deputies, spectators, and family members dressed in t-shirts that asked for justice for Amberly.
Jonie Barnett, the mother of Amberly, issued the following statement about the tragic situation. She said, “On March 1, 2019, a beautiful, smart, sweet, heaven-sent 11-year-old little girl named Amberly Alexis Barnett was taken from us. When I was 16, it was just Amberly and me until I had my son. She is the one who made me not only grow up fast but also showed me what true love is, as well as made me one of the greatest gifts alive, which is a mother. The day this monster took my daughter’s Life was the day he also took most of mine as well. As I sit and think about how I feel about everything that has happened, I am grateful for the team that has been placed together to get my daughter the justice we have been waiting three long years for. But, when I think about justice for Amberly, no matter what the verdict may ever be, no matter how many times he is sentenced, no matter what is said or done, there will never be the justice that my heart aches for. There is no greater justice that can ever be done now other than what God will make sure of allowing happening to him, and then he will have God and Amberly at his judgment day, which I hope is to be soon.”
Amberly’s aunt, K.C. Barnett, issued a statement as well. She said, “On March 1, 2019, my niece, Amberly Barnett’s Life was taken by the devil himself in disguise. Amberly made me an aunt; she made me understand what truly being loved meant. Amberly was truly a beautiful soul. Amberly was such a loving little girl, her mom being at the top of the list. Amberly also loved her little brother, although they would fuss and pick on each other. Amberly didn’t get the chance to ever meet her baby sister, Arryin, but I am positive that she would have had Amberly wrapped around her finger. Amberly’s pawpaw, John Wayne Barnett, was her hero, as she was his as well in so many ways. I am “KK.” She gave me that name since my name is KC. No one could ever imagine how much I miss Amberly; the pain he has caused my family and me will never go away. We will never be the same again. On March 24, 2022, three years later, we will finally have a verdict, a final sentence, but we will never have true justice. God is the only one that can give Amberly true justice. I want to say these final words- granddaughter, niece, friend, and inspiration to all was taken at the age of eleven years. The devil doesn’t care about anything, and it has surely been shown to us by this happening to our family but most of all, of what happened to Amberly. So, please, if you would, please just hold your family close and don’t trust easily.”
Amberly’s grandmother, Mary Pope, also wanted to make a statement. She stated, “I have a beautiful granddaughter, Amberly Alexis Barnett Pope. Amberly was born on April 5, 2007. She was an amazing child, grandchild, sister, and niece who we all will truly miss. She was a wonderful and beautiful child who had many hopes and dreams. Amberly loved running cross country. She loved to cook. Amberly was good at everything she did. Amberly was brutally murdered Friday, March 1, 2019. It was the phone call everyone hopes they will never get. At that moment, our family’s lives were forever changed. Losing a grandchild that way is so detrimental. I know everything comes to pass. Nothing comes to stay. The passing of time and praying to God is how I’ve been able to get through this. Death ends a life, not a relationship! Amberly will always be with me. I would also like to say thanks to the amazing team of men and women who worked so hard these past three years to bring Christopher Madison to court to face this murder charge. Thank you, District Attorney Mike O’Dell, Chief Deputy District Attorney Bob Johnston, Sheriff Nick Welden, and their entire staff, who all worked so hard to make sure Amberly was treated with respect and that this case would be solved. Thank you to Investigator Wade Hill for keeping us informed during this long process. They all did a wonderful job for Amberly and our family.

District Attorney Mike O’Dell commented on the heinous crime. O’Dell said, “On March 1, 2019, an egregious murder took place in the Mount Vernon Community of DeKalb County. The Life of a beautiful eleven-year-old girl was brutally ended. The details of this terrible act committed upon Amberly by the defendant, Christopher Madison, shook all of us involved in the investigation and prosecution to the core. We were all overwhelmed by this tragic and devastating loss of so precious a child. Those thoughts and feelings continue to haunt us to this day, with every person involved in this case forever affected by them.
Our hearts were, and continue to be, broken for the family Amberly left behind. We came to learn that Amberly was not only a beautiful young lady, she was also a very loving and affectionate daughter, sister, niece, and granddaughter. She was the ‘light’ of their lives, and her death left a gaping hole in their very hearts and souls. Their incredible pain can only be imagined by those of us who have been spared the loss of a child… it just doesn’t seem right for a parent to have to bury a child.
Our prayer is that the day will come when God’s love and compassion will provide this family with His peace that surpasses all our understanding. For all of us, Amberly’s memory will never be forgotten.
My hope is that the conviction of Christopher Madison, and his sentence of Life Without Parole, will provide this family with the belief that earthly justice has been rendered. Because Madison has been convicted of Capital Murder, he faced two potential punishments: Death or Life Without. When the defendant was arraigned, I announced that my office would be seeking the death penalty upon conviction of this evil defendant. However, after Madison proffered a plea to Life Without Parole, we met with the family to discuss their feelings. It has been my practice over my 42 years in this office to gain the approval of victims or their families to any plea agreement before we accept it. Amberly’s family members were resolute that they would prefer that the defendant receive Life Without Parole. It was expressed that they preferred that he spend the rest of his natural life in prison, in the general population, rather than spend the next 30 years or more in an isolated cell with the protection and perks provided death row inmates, while his case wound through years and years of appeals and uncertainty. Either way, he would not leave the penitentiary except in a body bag. It was clear that they had all given this matter a great deal of thought, and they were unanimous in their decision.
The next day, we met with law enforcement involved in the investigation of this case: Sheriff Nick Weldon, Fort Payne Police Chief David Davis, and investigators Josh York and Nick Brown. We all agreed that the position being advocated by the family was reasonable and a just resolution to the sentencing of Madison. The settlement was then offered before Judge Taylor, who proceeded to accept the sentencing recommendation. He adjudicated Madison guilty of Capital Murder and sentenced him to Life Without the Possibility of Parole. Under this sentence, Madison will die in prison.
This case brought back to my mind another devastating case I tried involving the death of a child-my first major case as a prosecutor, Judith Neeley. It has been with me my whole career. Memories of that tragic death will stay with me forever. Amberly’s death and the investigation was Sheriff Nick Weldon’s first major case after being elected Sheriff. What a terrible introduction to his new office it was. I am certain Amberly’s death will continue to be a defining moment in his career, as well.
My focus as District Attorney over these many years has been the safety and protection of our children. It is why I started the Children’s Advocacy Center years ago. For you see, the injury to a child by physical or sexual abuse, or, as in this case, a brutal murder, affects us all in profound ways. It motivates us to work even harder to keep our children safe.
Finally, I want to express my sincere appreciation to all the law enforcement officers involved in this case. They did an incredible job getting us to the point we could bring Madison to justice. My special thanks to Sheriff Weldon, with whom we have an excellent working relationship, and my office staff-lawyers, investigators, and administrative staff, who have invested three very intense years putting this case together. We all make a great team which has allowed us to be so successful in fighting crime and bringing the bad guys to justice.”