Arrest made in Pontiac cold case murder nearly 3 decades later

PONTIAC, Mich. (FOX 2) - Twenty-seven years ago, a 73-year-old man was murdered when he walked in on a burglary at his Pontiac home. 

Now, police finally have a suspect.

The backstory:

According to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, Charles Barnett surprised a burglar who was in his home on Corwin Street on April 30, 1998. This burglar shot Barnett and then fled the scene.

The case went cold, but it was reopened in 2020 by Oakland County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Todd Hunt and retired Lt. Steve Toy, who reviewed the evidence and linked a man to the case.

According to authorities, that man is 45-year-old Jack Anthony Young, who was 18 when he allegedly broke into Barnett's house and killed the man. He then allegedly stole Barnett's vehicle and crashed it shortly after before fleeing the crash scene. The vehicle led authorities to Barnett's home, where they found him dead. 

Young has been charged with felony murder, and is awaiting extradition to Michigan from Mishawaka, Ind., where he now lives.

What they're saying:

Sheriff Michael Bouchard praised his office's review of cold cases.

"We never give up on our pursuit of justice for the victims, the families and the community," he said. "I’m proud of the constant review of cold cases that our team
does. In this case, we have an opportunity to hold the accused perpetrator accountable after all these years."

Prosecutor Karen McDonald, who issued the murder charge against Young, also commended those involved in solving such an old case.

"Charles Barnett was taken from his loved ones 27 years ago, but he was never forgotten," McDonald said. "Thanks to an investigation that was never closed, we can now seek justice for Mr. Barnett."

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