Sonora, CA—A Long Barn man convicted of shooting his roommates, one in the temple, killing him, and the other in the throat, was recently sentenced to 55 years and 6 months in prison.
A jury found 71-year-old James West guilty of second-degree murder for the shooting death of his landlord and roommate, Joseph Barbalinardo, and attempted voluntary manslaughter of tenant James Nash. As we reported here in April of 2024, the shooting took place near Circle Drive, off Long Barn Road, and south of Highway 108. While Tuolumne County Sheriff’s deputies were responding to the home, a second round of shots was fired.
Tuolumne County District Attorney Cassandra Jenecke detailed what was brought out in court regarding the shooting, noting that West got upset with Barbalinardo.
“West confronted him in the kitchen because he didn’t appreciate that Barbalinardo would not bend to his whims as it related to his fellow tenant, James Nash. So, West took out his concealed 9mm handgun and shot Barbalinardo in the left temple. Barbalinardo fell to the floor but did not die quickly,” stated DA Jenecke, adding, “West did not attempt to help him, nor did he call 911 himself. Another resident, however, did call and remained on the line for more than 25 minutes.”
Nash was not at the residence when Barbalinardo was shot, but upon learning about it, he went to help his friend. When Nash arrived, West was still armed and pacing inside the residence. Then Nash hit West with bear spray, hoping it would incapacitate him, but instead, he shot Nash three times. DA Jenecke stated, “While bending to help his friend, Nash said suddenly he was looking down the barrel of a 9mm handgun being held by West. Nash managed to get his left arm up in time so that his arm took the first shot, causing massive damage, which will still require at least one more surgery to attempt to repair.”
A second round went through Nash’s throat, and a third round struck his upper right arm, then went through part of his torso before skimming across his body. According to Jenecke, “Nash said that he then tried to play dead so that West would not shoot him again.” In court, West claimed that he shot both men in self-defense.
At sentencing, Barbalinardo’s widow stated that she forgave West to free her own heart from the irreparable damage the defendant’s callous actions caused. Jenecke shared that Nash gave an impact statement detailing how his life has taken a drastic turn for the worse since he nearly lost his life. She added that when “West then took the opportunity to speak and provided a long ranting soliloquy during which he proudly said about his crimes that “I have no remorse and no regrets.”
Before pronouncing the sentence, Jenecke disclosed that the judge also pointed out West was “giggling with glee” and attempted to make jokes with the bailiff when photos of Barbalinardo dead on the kitchen floor were shown in court. West was sentenced to 15 years and 6 months in state prison for shooting James Nash and consecutively to 40 years to life for murdering Joseph Barbalinaro.
Hence then, the article about long barn man convicted in deadly shooting of roommates sentenced was published today ( ) and is available on myMOTHERLODE ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Long Barn Man Convicted In Deadly Shooting Of Roommates Sentenced )
Also on site :