48 Hours: NCIS investigates the 2008 murder of 16-year-old Meghan Landowski of Portsmouth, Virginia. She was stabbed to death (more than 40 times) in her home by her classmate, Robert Lee Barnes, then 17. They attended the same arts program – she was a ballerina, he a violinist. In 2009, Barnes pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, attempted rape, aggravated sexual battery, abduction and statutory burglary. He was sentenced to 148 years in prison. In 2012, Barnes tried to appeal the conviction claiming he is unlawfully incarcerated.
In a petition, Barnes wrote that his mother, Eboni Barnes-Smallwood, was present during his interview with police but was of little help. He described his mother as providing “as much assistance…as a potted plant.” Barnes also blames his lawyers, who advised him to plead guilty instead of going to trial. 48 Hours airs Fridays at 10pm on CBS.
