Volusia County cold case getting fresh eyes and bigger reward

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — The Volusia Sheriff’s Office is putting fresh eyes and upping the reward on a cold case from 2002.

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Twenty-two years ago today, 22-year-old Terrell Barkley was found dead in his blue Buick on South Adelle Avenue in DeLand.

Sheriff Mike Chitwood said the investigation showed Barkley had been out gambling and may have won some money. Investigators believe he was followed, robbed, and murdered.

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Barkley’s family joined Sheriff Chitwood at his training facility in Daytona Beach to go over the case on its 22-year anniversary Friday. His mom, Louease May asked whoever was responsible to do the right thing.

“Put yourself in my shoes. If it had been your family, you’d want somebody to come forth and say something. So please, please come forth,” said May.

May is well-known in DeLand and won the city’s Volunteer of the Year Award in 2022. She said her son shared that same spirit and described him as someone who would give you the shirt off his back.

The reward in his case now sits at $50,000 and while there haven’t been many leads, Chitwood said forensic evidence was found at the scene and his detectives are taking another look.

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“Technology has now morphed. All of that stuff is being resubmitted,” said Chitwood.

There are 54 unsolved cold cases in Volusia County dating back to the 1950s. Chitwood is confident with the advancements in technology, that list will only shorten.

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“We are going to come and get you one way or the other. But people do need to do the right thing. As I said earlier, no mother should have to bury their child,” said Chitwood.

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