Between 1978 and 1980, a series of violent crimes around Dallas County, Texas, was eventually connected to Danny Lee Barber. He was convicted of three murders and admitted involvement in a fourth. Investigators also learned that he had engaged in disturbing acts involving the bodies of some victims.
Barber was sentenced to death for the murder of Janice Ingram. His execution was postponed at the last moment in 1988, but more than a decade later, the sentence was finally carried out.
A Burglary That Turned Deadly
On October 8, 1979, Barber went to the home of 50-year-old Janice Ingram in Balch Springs.
He had apparently intended to burglarize the house and had picked up a section of pipe from the backyard. When he arrived, however, he discovered that a door was already open and entered the residence.
Inside, he encountered Ingram.
She began screaming, and Barber attacked her with the pipe. He then fatally wounded her with a knife.
Ingram’s body remained undiscovered for more than two weeks. On October 26, her mother, Ruth Clowers, and her brother, Roy Clowers, found her.
The tragedy was made more personal by the fact that Barber already knew the family. He had previously performed manual work around their properties.
Arrest and a Series of Confessions
Barber was arrested on May 4, 1980, after being caught breaking into a flea market.
While in custody, he began talking to authorities about other killings.
According to his confession, he was responsible for the deaths of four people in Dallas County:
- Raymond Curly, killed on June 18, 1978
- Mercedes “Mercy” Mendez, 48, killed on January 17, 1979
- Janice Ingram, killed on October 8, 1979
- Mary Caperton, 39, killed on April 21, 1980
Mendez had been assaulted and shot before her body was abandoned in a wooded area near Mesquite.
Barber also told investigators that he had engaged in sexual acts involving two of the victims’ bodies, adding another disturbing element to the investigation.
The Death Sentence
By August 1980, Barber had been convicted in connection with the murders.
He received the death penalty for killing Janice Ingram and life sentences for two other murders.
His execution was eventually scheduled for January 2, 1988.
That day, Barber came extremely close to being put to death.
With the execution only about an hour away, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay. The intervention came after Barber’s legal team raised a technical legal issue.
The execution was therefore postponed.
A new execution date was eventually established following subsequent court proceedings involving U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks.
Eleven More Years on Death Row
The legal process continued for years.
Although Barber had originally been scheduled for execution in 1988, he remained on death row for another decade.
On February 11, 1999, the sentence was finally carried out at the Huntsville Unit in Texas.
Barber was executed by lethal injection.
Before his death, he addressed Janice Ingram’s family and others present for the execution. He expressed regret for what he had done and maintained that he had changed during the years he spent incarcerated.
He also spoke briefly to friends who were present and said goodbye to his mother.
The End of the Case
Danny Lee Barber died on February 11, 1999, ending a criminal case that had stretched across more than two decades.
He had been convicted of three murders and had confessed to a fourth. His crimes included burglary, murder, and disturbing acts involving victims after their deaths.
His execution marked the final chapter of a case that began with a series of killings across Dallas County in the late 1970s and ended with Barber’s death in state custody.
He was later buried at Captain Joe Byrd Cemetery.
This story is based on publicly available information and reported facts. It has been independently written and presented for informational purposes. Images, if any, belong to their respective owners.