ANDERSON, S.C. (Court TV) — Two women accused of helping a man dispose of his wife’s body were in court Friday for a preliminary hearing.
Prosecutors say Victoria Tippett (L) and Kendall Mims (R) helped dispose of Jessica Barnes’ body after her husband, Brandon (C) killed her. (Anderson County Sheriff’s Office)
Brandon Barnes is charged with the murder of his wife, Jessica Barnes, who was allegedly strangled to death on Aug. 2, 2024. Jessica was not reported missing until Sept. 10, and her remains were found one week later in the Twin Lakes area of Pickens County, S.C.
While prosecutors say Brandon killed his wife by himself, he allegedly enlisted the help of his lover, Kendall Mims, as well as a third woman who lived with them, Victoria Tippett, to dispose of the body. Mims and Tippett are both charged with accessory after the fact and obstruction of justice.
On Friday, Tippett and Mims appeared in court without Brandon, who had waived his right to appear before the proceeding began. Neither woman looked at the other during the hours-long hearing, after which the judge found probable cause and bound the defendants for trial.
Pendleton Police Officer Steve Wescott took the stand and revealed new details about the murder and disposal of the victim’s body. Wescott said that Brandon killed Jessica while “trying to restrain her in a WWE move,” and that Mims was not home at the time. Mims returned home from work to find the victim’s body had already been placed into a large plastic tote, which surveillance video showed Brandon and Tippett purchasing from Walmart.
“You can see the tote being brought out of the poolhouse by Brandon Barnes with the assistance of Ms. Mims and Ms. Tippett,” Wescott said. “It’s put in the HHR … they were searching for a location to dispose of the remains before they ultimately ended at the location.”
Prosecutors say three of Jessica’s teeth and part of her jawbone were found at a site off of a hiking trail, while more of her remains were found in a 5-gallon bucket on the property where all three suspects lived. Wescott testified that the group initially tried to dig a hole to bury Jessica’s remains but ultimately burned them.
Mims previously appeared in court in December 2024, where she was denied bond after an emotional hearing. At that hearing, Mims’ defense attorney told the judge that her client had suffered severe abuse at Brandon’s hands, including strangulation that left her experiencing stroke-like symptoms.
