Advertisement

N.H. Man Allegedly Killed Wife's Lover After Learning of Affair, then Ordered Her to Behead Victim

Instagram Jonathan Amerault

A New Hampshire man who had allegedly just learned that his wife was having an affair with a co-worker is accused of killing her lover before forcing her to behead him, say authorities.

On Friday, Armando Barron, 30, of Jaffrey, was arrested and charged in connection with the death of Jonathan Amerault, 25, of Keene, whose body was found in the New Hampshire woods on Sept. 22, Attorney General Gordon J. MacDonald and New Hampshire State Police Colonel Nathan A. Noyes announced in a release.

Armando Barron is charged with capital murder for allegedly “knowingly causing the death of Jonathan Amerault by shooting him while engaged in the commission of a kidnapping,” the release states.

New Hampshire State Police Armando Barron

Armando is also charged with domestic violence, strangling and threatening to use a deadly weapon “for the purpose of placing his wife, Britany Barron, in fear of imminent bodily injury” after allegedly sticking a gun in her mouth, the criminal complaint states.

Britany, 31, of Jaffrey, was arrested on Thursday and charged with three counts of falsifying physical evidence in conjunction with Amerault's killing, the release states.

The grisly slaying allegedly took place after Armando went through Britany’s phone on the night of Sept. 19 and discovered she was in a relationship with Amerault, who she worked with at Teleflex Medical OEM, a medical supply company in Jaffrey, she told police, according to an arrest warrant obtained by PEOPLE.

Enraged, Armando allegedly beat her, stuck a gun in her mouth and strangled her on their bed, causing her to pass out, the arrest warrant affidavit states.

Later that night, Armando allegedly used his wife’s phone to text Amerault and lure him to Annette Wayside Park in the town of Rindge.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

At the park, Armando allegedly beat Amerault and then demanded that his wife shoot him, Britany told police, according to the affidavit.

But Britany "would not place her finger on the trigger,” it says.

Brittany then alleged that Armando fatally shot Amerault three times in Amerault's car.

After driving in separate vehicles to a campsite near Errol they’d visited before, Armando allegedly told Britany that “once the sun came up the next morning he would forgive her,” the warrant says.

Armando then allegedly ordered Britany to decapitate Amerault so that he couldn’t be identified by dental records, and Britany allegedly complied, the warrant says.

When Armando learned that authorities were looking for him and his wife, he returned to the couple’s home, allegedly ordering her to bury her lover’s body, the affidavit says.

The man's head was found in a separate location.

Britany was arrested after wildlife conservation officers told her she wasn’t allowed to camp where they’d found her.

“I’m in big trouble,” Britany allegedly told the officers.

Soon after, they found Amerault’s abandoned Subaru, which was covered with a tarp and sticks. Then they found his headless body wrapped up in a nearby brook.

On Friday, both Armando and Britany pleaded not guilty to the charges they each face.

They are being held without bond.

Their attorneys did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.

Her attorney, Richard Guerriero, said in court that she acted “under duress," the New Hampshire Union Leader reports.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.