September 9, 2025 • 26 mins
It was one of the most shocking crimes in University of Miami history. In April 1996, linebacker Marlin Barnes and his close friend Timwanika Lumpkins were discovered brutally beaten inside Barnes’ on-campus apartment. At first, students feared a random predator was on the loose. But as detectives pieced together the evidence, the investigation led them to someone much closer — a jealous ex with a violent history.
In this episode of Murder U, we trace Marlin’s journey from Liberty City to the Hurricanes football team, where he became an inspiration to his family and community. We look at the life of Timwanika, remembered by loved ones as “Lil Bit,” and how both were pulled into a tragedy that stunned the campus and made national headlines. From the initial panic, to the trail of evidence, to the courtroom verdict, this is the story of how jealousy and rage destroyed two young lives full of promise.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/murder-u--6152042/support.
In this episode of Murder U, we trace Marlin’s journey from Liberty City to the Hurricanes football team, where he became an inspiration to his family and community. We look at the life of Timwanika, remembered by loved ones as “Lil Bit,” and how both were pulled into a tragedy that stunned the campus and made national headlines. From the initial panic, to the trail of evidence, to the courtroom verdict, this is the story of how jealousy and rage destroyed two young lives full of promise.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/murder-u--6152042/support.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Oh my gosh. I can't thank you all enough for listening.
We've had thousands of downloads already and we're just getting started. Anyway,
can I ask you a huge favor. If you're loving
Murder you, could you give us a five star review?
It really helps us out and ensures we can keep
bringing you great true crime stories thanks a bunch Abnornia.
(00:25):
From high school hallways to expansive college campuses and the
sanctity of their homes, these once secure spaces have transformed
into hunting grounds for sinister individuals seeking to inflict harm
on the unsuspecting. I'm your host, Mattie. Join me here
each week as we investigate the bone chilling stories of
senseless murders occurring in and around our centers of education.
(00:48):
Welcome to Murder You an Abnormia original. Today, I'm going
(01:15):
to discuss the nineteen ninety six killing of a University
of Miami student named Marlon Barnes, who was discovered beaten
to death in his apartment along with his close friend
Tim Wunika Lumpkins. This case was shocking to university students
because it occurred in an on campus apartment. The campus
police initially didn't know if they had a deranged killer
(01:36):
on their hands, but the manner of death and other
evidence soon pointed to a suspect who likely knew the victims.
The murder also attracted national attention because Barnes was a
linebacker on the University of Miami football team. If you're
not a huge college football fan, the Miami Hurricanes had
one of the best programs in the country in the
(01:56):
eighties and nineties. Between nineteen eighty three tonight teen ninety one,
they won four national championships, which is an impressive feat. However,
due to numerous off the field issues such as gun charges,
drug violations, and a variety of scandals, the football program
earned a bad reputation in the media. Their rivalry with
(02:17):
Notre Dame was even dubbed, perhaps unfairly, the Catholics Versus Convicts.
Because of their reputation of the football team, many people
were quick to prejudge the murder as yet another scandal,
albeit a horribly violent one. But as you'll soon find
out as the story unfolds, this wasn't a typical case
(02:37):
of some sordid love triangle, despite what the media portrayed
early on. Not only was Marlon Barnes a tremendous athlete,
but by all accounts, he was also an outstanding person
off the field. Ironically, his kindness and willingness to help
others may have even cost him his life. And I'll
tell you why, but I don't want to get ahead
(02:58):
of myself. First, you need to know a little about
Marlin and Timunika. Marlon Barnes was born on April sixth,
nineteen seventy four, to his mother, Charlie and father Mackie.
His mother was only sixteen years old when she gave
birth to Marlin, so she obviously had to grow up fast.
(03:19):
Marlin did as well, because two years after he was born,
Barnes's father was shot to death after a heated argument
with his best friend. Okay, this is pretty amazing. According
to a twenty twelve ESPN article, Marlin's mother raised him
to forgive others, so when he was in college, he
actually wrote a letter to his father's killer, who was
(03:40):
still in prison. Since the man was a Hurricane fan,
Barnes mailed him a press photo. I mean that gives
you a good idea of Marlin's character and maturity. It's
also a reflection of the strong mother who raised Marlin
and his three siblings on her own from an early age.
During high school, Marlin worked hard to raise SAT scores.
(04:02):
He attended a military prep school to lift his grades
and get into the University of Miami. According to his mother,
he became an inspiration his brothers, sister, and cousins could
all emulate. Charlie Postal worked two full time security jobs
to put Marlin through prep school. After being denied three
loan requests, she borrowed money from a friend to pay
(04:24):
for his tuition and pulled double duty to pay the
friend back. She sounds like a determined woman who was
willing to do anything to give her family the opportunities
she never had. I really admire that about her. Charlie
worked hard to get the family out of the Liberty
City projects in Northwest Miami. In an interview with ABC News,
(04:45):
Barnes's mother said, I did not want to stay in
government housing with my children. I wanted better for them,
and they deserved better. I gave it my all. Marlon
was probably seventeen when we bought our house and we
moved to Miami Garden. The neighborhoods that we came from.
They were dangerous neighborhoods, but we survived. She went on
(05:07):
to say Marlin was the first child in our family
period to go to college, adding everyone was proud and
he was the happiest kid on earth. She also explained
that Marlin was really thriving as a football player in college.
When it came time to choose a school, Barnes only
had one university in mind, the one they call simply
(05:28):
the year. Many of the Hurricane players, like ray Lewis,
an early roommate of Barnes, went on to become stars
in the NFL. Marlin was a reserve linebacker who was
expected to compete for a starting role his junior year.
He might not have been bound for the NFL like
some of his teammates, but Marlin had a bright future
(05:48):
beyond the grid iron. That is, before the morning of
April thirteenth, nineteen ninety six, when his life was cut
short along with his childhood friend, Tim Wunika. Marlin met
tim Wanka Lumpkins while attending North Miami High School. She
had a close relationship with her family, especially her grandmother,
and was working at Precision Response Corps, a telemarketing firm
(06:12):
at the time of her death. Like Marlon, she was
an athlete and played on the high school basketball team.
Marlin and tim Wanka ended up being a part of
a close group of friends, and there's conflicting information about
whether they were ever romantically linked. Lumpkin's family, who lovingly
called her a little bit, didn't believe they were anything
(06:32):
other than friends, nor did barnes family. In a recent
ABC article, Barnes's mother told ABC News. In the media
coverage it was portrayed as though Marlon and tim Wanka
were a couple. They were friends. He was lending a
helping hand to someone that asked him for help. The
bottom line is Marlon was a wonderful guy who went
(06:54):
out of his way to help friends and strangers alike.
According to the SOUN Centennial, just months before his death,
after the last football practice of spring, Barnes gave several
eleventh graders all of his practice equipment, including his ninety
dollars orange Nike cleats, which he gifted to a kid
who needed them in a size ten and a half.
(07:16):
He was always willing to help others, and just a
week prior, he had helped Tim Wunika move out of
the apartment she shared with her boyfriend Labrant Dennis, and
their two year old daughter, aunt Tansha. She was reportedly
moving in with her grandmother because Dennis was abusive. With
spring practice over, Barnes had a lot to celebrate. He
(07:37):
had just been voted the most improved player on the
Hurricanes defense, but he never imagined the following evening would
be his last night alive, according to the Sun's Centennial.
During the day, Marlon and his roommate Earl Little, dined
a red lobster. Barnes feasted on shrimp and steak as
the two discussed a joint final project for their African
(07:58):
American Studies course. They were to give an oral report
about black cultural leaders. Barnes wanted to enjoy the weekend, however,
so they agreed to tackle the schoolwork the following Monday.
On Saturday, Marlin planned on meeting up with his family
for a picnic lunch at Hollover Beach. They rented a
few movies and decided to relax for the rest of
(08:20):
the day. Barnes planned on going out to a Dolphins
Cowboys party at a local club. He asked Little to
join him, but his friends didn't feel like going out. Instead,
he loaned Marlin his Ford Explorer for the night, then
the two parted ways. That night, Marlin met up with
Tim Wunika at the South Beach night club Salvation, where
(08:41):
the party hosted by NFL players was located. They celebrated
Barnes being voted the most improved player and met up
with other friends at the club. They left the club
around five thirty am and walked several blocks to the
truck Earl Little had loaned Marlin. There, they discovered that
the tires of the truck had been slashed. As luck
(09:01):
would have it, the Ford Explorer was parked in front
of a towing company, and they got the vehicle back
to Marlin's apartment around six a m. Speaking to The
Sun Centennial, Charlie Postal said, I keep wondering if he
tried to call me. I think he might have if
he had gotten me, I would have gotten out of
this bed and brought him here instead of there. In
(09:23):
my heart, I know he would have been alive today.
It's heart wrenching for a mother to think she might
have missed her son's last phone call. I really feel
for her, but it's certainly not her fault that someone
targeted her son and his friend. The next morning, just
before sunrise, Earl Little came home to get his truck,
(09:44):
but noticed that someone had slashed his tires. He attempted
to open the door of his apartment, but something was
blocking the door. When Little peered through the door, he
saw a horrifying sight. Marlin, his best friend since grade school,
who was more like a brother, was lying on the
floor in a pool of blood. Marlin Little cried out
(10:05):
as he dropped to the ground to help his friend,
who was unrecognizable. His face had been caved in from
a savage beating, yet amazingly, Barnes was still alive. He
managed to say huh in response to Earle's voice. Little
could tell that Marlin was barely alive and had lost
a lot of blood. He ran out of the apartment
(10:26):
to get help. He rushed to a friend's apartment and
told them to call nine to one one. Dan Obert
of the Coral Gables Police Department arrived on the scene
at seven thirty four a m. Little told the officer
there was only one person wounded in the apartment. He
had no way of knowing. Tim Winniko was clinging to
life in the other room. Upon entering the apartment, officer
(10:50):
Obert observed Barnes lying on the floor with his head
leaning against the front door. As Obert proceeded through the
apartment to secure the area, he discovered a badly beaten
tim Winika Lumpkins in a bedroom. Lemkins was lying face
down and had severe trauma to the back of her skull.
When Opert returned to the living room, he watched Barnes
(11:10):
make an attempt to get up and then collapse. Paramedics
airlifted tim Wanika to Jackson Memorial Hospital, but she died
on route. Both Marlin and tim Wanika had been fatally
beaten with an unknown blunt object. Investigators also found fingerprints
at the scene, which they suspected were the killers. Since
(11:31):
Marlin was still wearing an expensive gold necklace and had
cashed in his pants pocket, detectives assumed the killer was
someone the victims new, and that robbery wasn't the primary motive.
There was clearly a lot of rache behind this attack,
which pointed to a more personal motive. Miami Dade Assistant
State's Attorney Floris ev spoke with podcast host Taylor Fetzner
(11:55):
and described the level of violence. The blood had spattered
up date the ceiling to the walls, Seph said. She
went on to say that an anyw shotgun shell was
found at the scene and a shotgun trigger guard. Around
eight a m. That morning, Tim Winika's ex boyfriend, Labrn
Dennis picked up his daughter Antanessha, who was with Tim
(12:17):
Winika's grandmother, Elizabeth McQueen. Hours later, McQueen learned about her
granddaughter's murder. McQueen was heartbroken, but she also had no
reason to believe that Auntansha's father might be involved in
her granddaughter's murder. Marlin's mother, Charlie, was also devastated by
the news of her son's murder. I just lost it,
(12:39):
Barnes's mother told ABC News just a few months ago, adding,
I was just baffled. I was sitting there thinking who
would want to hurt him? When the news broke across
campus that Saturday, Miami football players gathered in a conference
room in the athletic department. There were many tears as
they struggled to understand who could have killed their most
(13:01):
beloved player. No one had any answers because Marlin never
angered anyone. It was the most gruesome murder in school history.
That day, there was palpable tension across the campus as
police still did not have a suspect in the double murder.
Speaking at a press conference, school of president Edward Foot said,
(13:24):
our lives will never be quite the same. I imagine
it was hard to focus on classes after a tragedy
of this magnitude. The school doubled on campus security, and
many students stayed in at night and locked their doors.
We've been through some things here, Miami Athletic director Paul
d told Sports Illustrated, but this is an amazing tragedy.
(13:47):
In the days following the murder, the police had no
clear suspects. Marlin helped start a Rite Track program in
North Miami to steer the local youth away from gangs,
so investigators wondered if he hadn't been killed by a
gang in response to his charity work, but there was
no indication that Marlon was targeted by any of the
(14:08):
local gangs. Of course, the first person the police usually
suspect is the boyfriend or ex right. Tim Winka had
recently broken up with her boyfriend Lebrant Dennis, and Marlin
had helped her move out of the apartment she shared
with the man. If Dennis was jealous of Marlin and
suspected him and tim Winka were more than friends, he
(14:29):
would have a strong motive for committing murder. The only
problem was Lebrant Dennis was cooperative and even volunteered to
speak with investigators before they came looking for him. At
four pm that afternoon, lead Detective Thomas Romagni returned to
the police station, having been at the crime scene all day.
(14:51):
Lebrant Dennis was already at the station and eager to
speak with investigators about tim Winka after they informed him
that she had been murdered along with the Barnes. Dennis
said that on the night of the murders, he went
to a bachelor party after eleven pm, remaining there until
one thirty am. He said he then went home, changed clothes,
(15:12):
and around two am went to the party at Club Salvation.
You know, this same club where Barnes and Lumpkins just
happened to be Hmmm, coincidence or the confession of a stalker.
Dennis said that despite being the same club, he never
saw Marlon and Tim Winika. There. According to him, he
went home and the rest of the evening was uneventful.
(15:34):
Dennis also submitted to having his fingerprints taken and his
car searched. It seemed he was telling the truth, and
investigators had nothing to go on and no suspects. Eight
days after the double murder, Marlin and tim Winka were
laid to rest, and the authorities still had no answers.
(15:55):
At students at the University of Miami took their final exams,
they also had to worry if a killer was taking
a test right next to them, as if finals aren't
stressful enough. However, investigators were still conducting interviews and trying
to verify Dennis's alibi. For that morning, they focused on
the area around Club Salvation and found a witness who
(16:18):
worked at a gas station. She told police that a
guy was sitting in a gray Nissan in the gas
station parking lot the night of the murders. She asked
him to leave, but he refused, so she called the police.
When they arrived, the car took off, but returned once
the officers were gone. The only problem was that Dennis
didn't drive a gray Nissan. However, his girlfriend, Watsha Wallace
(16:43):
did and the car was registered in her name. Okay,
so that's suspicious behavior, but it doesn't really prove anything.
A few days later, though, police received a tip from
Joseph Stewart, one of Dennis's coworkers, who had some interesting information.
He told police that on April seventh, he loaned Dennis
(17:04):
his mother's shotgun. On April thirteenth, Dennis called his coworker
and told him he left the shotgun in the bushes
outside his mother's home. When Stuart opened the bag, he
discovered a knife and clothing, as well as the shotgun,
which was now damaged and missing the trigger guard. I mean,
why even return it. Here's the gun you let me borrow,
(17:28):
which I used to commit a double murder. Obviously, Dennis
wasn't a criminal mastermind, but he does return borrowed items.
So there's that. In a rather incredible twist of fate.
Marlin's mother used to work with Lebrant, Dennis, and Joseph
Stewart at the Durral Golf Resort and spa. On numerous
(17:48):
occasions over the course of a year, Charlie ate lunch
with Dennis and would often speak in glowing terms about
her son. Dennis's alibi was also scrutinized harder Frank, Assistant
Director of Public Safety, told United Press International he did
have an alibi, but as a result of the investigation,
(18:08):
along with the crime Stoppers tip, we were able to
discredit the alibi. Police tried to question Dennis about the
new information, but he gave no further statement. Yet not
much you can say when they have a smoking gun,
piece of evidence, or in this case, a broken gun.
With his alibi in tatters and having received the murder weapon,
(18:32):
police arrested Dennis and he was charged with the murders
of Timwanika Lumpkins and Marlon Barnes. Students in Coral Cables
breathed a sigh of relief that a suspect had been apprehended,
though they were no less shocked by the murder. Some
were relieved that the killer wasn't a student at the
university and that the killings weren't related to their beloved
(18:53):
Hurricanes football team. So who is Lebrant Dennis and what
was his motive? Lebrant Dennis had a similar background to
Marlon Barnes. He was raised in Liberty City at the
James E. Scott housing projects with his half brother Michael Dennis.
Dennis was also a star football player at Edison High School.
(19:15):
In the late eighties, he danced as a part of
a local group called Disco Rick. He also rapped for
a group called The Dogs, whose tracks included Dog Call,
Nasty Dance, Dookie Shoot, and their biggest hit, if you
can call it that your Mama's on Crack. I watched
the video on YouTube, so you don't have to trust me.
(19:36):
You can skip that one. The group achieved some local
success and released three albums, but they were forced to
disband when Dennis was arrested. Lebrant had two children with
two women and had been in and out of a
relationship with Tim Winika for nearly four years, and Tansha,
his daughter with Lumpkins, was three years old at the
(19:57):
time of the murder. It's baffling to me that someone
could brutally murder the mother of their own child. On
September eighth, nineteen ninety eight, Lebrandt Dennis went on trial
for two counts of first degree murder. Charlie Postell attended
the trial each day, wondering how the former coworker she
sat and ate lunch with could have taken her son's life.
(20:20):
I used to talk to him about my son, Charlie said,
adding I just couldn't put it together. Trial documents revealed
Dennis's motivation for the double murder, as revealed to officer
Romagni when he interviewed Dennis. When asked about his relationship
with Lumpkins, defendant told Romagne that the two had arguments
(20:42):
and that he might have slapped her on occasion. As
to Barnes, defendant indicated that he knew him and he
believed that he lived on campus. Defendant, however, told Romagne
that he had never been to Barnes's apartment. Defendant told
Romagne that he and Lumpkins had an argument the previous
(21:02):
week after she came home late after an evening out
with Barnes. Lumpkins was staying with the defendant at the
house of his cousin, Carolyn Williams and her boyfriend Jesse Pitts.
After the argument, Lumpkins moved out on April sixth. According
to the defendant, Pitts informed him that the person who
helped her out was driving a black Explorer. The defendant
(21:25):
believed that person to be Barnes. At a Brand's trial,
prosecutors explained that Dennis believed Barnes and Lumpkins were involved
in a romantic relationship. They claimed his intense jealousy of
Barnes drove him to plan and commit premeditated murder. To
establish motive, the state introduced evidence of prior incidents in
(21:45):
which Dennis stocked Lempkins and one incident in which he
threatened to kill her with a gun. A friend of
Dennis testified that he asked her to watch out for
Marlin hanging out with Tim Wanika because he believed marlnd
was messing with his baby's mother. A month prior to
the murders, Dennis asked the same witness where Barnes lived
(22:07):
and who lived with him. The state theorized that Dennis
waited for Marlin to come out of the club and
couldn't control himself, so he slashed the tires of the
truck and then followed the tow truck to the apartment.
He brought the shotgun and was able to get inside
the apartment. When the shotgun didn't work, he used it
(22:27):
as a club to beat Marlon and Timwinika to death.
Even more damaging testimony came from Joseph Stewart's girlfriend, Zamoria Wilson,
who was awakened by Dennis around seven am. He was
wearing all black and looking for Stuart, who happened to
be staying at his mother's house. The state introduced forensic
(22:48):
evidence that proved the trigger guard was an exact match
to the shotgun Dennis had borrowed from Stuart, But the
most difficult and compelling evidence was the crime scene photos.
Marlin's mother spoke to ABC News about it. The trial
was hard. I didn't look at any of the pictures.
I didn't want to see them. I listened to the
(23:09):
testimony that everybody gave. His defense was that Joseph Stewart
could have been the one that committed the murders because
it was his shotgun. It was, you know, heart wrenching
to hear that. Ultimately, Dennis was convicted of all charges.
In the penalty phase, the jury recommended the death penalty
(23:29):
with a vote of eleven to one. When the verdict
was read, Lebrant had an emotional outburst and had to
be restrained by officers. Dennis was sentenced to death in
nineteen ninety nine. In twenty sixteen, the Florida Supreme Court
reopened multiple death row sentences based on how many jurors
(23:50):
voted in favor of the death penalty, and in twenty twenty,
the court upheld the reversal of these death penalty convictions.
Dennis was moved off death row. For Marlin's mother, the
reversal felt like, quote, we're being murdered again. She went
on to say, Lebrandt chose to kill my child. He
(24:11):
nearly killed my family, but we survived it. Marlin and
tim Winka were, by all accounts, wonderful people whose lives
were cut short by a selfish and jealous killer who
incorrectly assumed they were more than friends. This case was
heavily covered by the media at the time because Marlon
was a member of a top college football team. In
(24:34):
this episode, I focused on Marlin's story more than Tim
Wanika's simply because unfortunately there's not much public information about Lumpkins.
The media in nineteen ninety six was so focused on
Marlin that oftentimes Tim Winka was overlooked. The other aspect
is that Marlin's family was more open with the media.
(24:55):
So we want to respect the Lumpkins family and their
desire to remain private. But I I do want to
say that Timwinika's life mattered just as much as Marlin's
and it's a tragedy that they didn't get to experience
all that life had to offer. Marlin's aunt, Carolyn Postel,
summed up Marlin's character this way, we all looked up
(25:16):
to him, trying to make something out of him, trying
to get a career. He showed the family I didn't
get my diploma. He got his diploma and went to college.
Everyone in the family loved that. He set a good
example for our children and will end on that positive note.
That's it for this episode of Murder You, and please
(25:38):
remember advocates of the National Domestic Violence Hotline are available
to talk confidentially with anyone in the United States who
is experiencing domestic violence, seeking resources or information, or questioning
unhealthy aspects of their relationship. Call one eight hundred seven
nine to nine safe one eight hundred seven nine nine
(26:00):
seven two three three. Be sure to like and subscribe
to Murder You on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, or
wherever you get your podcasts.
Oh my gosh. I can't thank you all enough for listening.
We've had thousands of downloads already and we're just getting started. Anyway,
can I ask you a huge favor. If you're loving
Murder you, could you give us a five star review?
It really helps us out and ensures we can keep
bringing you great true crime stories thanks a bunch Abnornia.
(00:25):
From high school hallways to expansive college campuses and the
sanctity of their homes, these once secure spaces have transformed
into hunting grounds for sinister individuals seeking to inflict harm
on the unsuspecting. I'm your host, Mattie. Join me here
each week as we investigate the bone chilling stories of
senseless murders occurring in and around our centers of education.
(00:48):
Welcome to Murder You an Abnormia original. Today, I'm going
(01:15):
to discuss the nineteen ninety six killing of a University
of Miami student named Marlon Barnes, who was discovered beaten
to death in his apartment along with his close friend
Tim Wunika Lumpkins. This case was shocking to university students
because it occurred in an on campus apartment. The campus
police initially didn't know if they had a deranged killer
(01:36):
on their hands, but the manner of death and other
evidence soon pointed to a suspect who likely knew the victims.
The murder also attracted national attention because Barnes was a
linebacker on the University of Miami football team. If you're
not a huge college football fan, the Miami Hurricanes had
one of the best programs in the country in the
(01:56):
eighties and nineties. Between nineteen eighty three tonight teen ninety one,
they won four national championships, which is an impressive feat. However,
due to numerous off the field issues such as gun charges,
drug violations, and a variety of scandals, the football program
earned a bad reputation in the media. Their rivalry with
(02:17):
Notre Dame was even dubbed, perhaps unfairly, the Catholics Versus Convicts.
Because of their reputation of the football team, many people
were quick to prejudge the murder as yet another scandal,
albeit a horribly violent one. But as you'll soon find
out as the story unfolds, this wasn't a typical case
(02:37):
of some sordid love triangle, despite what the media portrayed
early on. Not only was Marlon Barnes a tremendous athlete,
but by all accounts, he was also an outstanding person
off the field. Ironically, his kindness and willingness to help
others may have even cost him his life. And I'll
tell you why, but I don't want to get ahead
(02:58):
of myself. First, you need to know a little about
Marlin and Timunika. Marlon Barnes was born on April sixth,
nineteen seventy four, to his mother, Charlie and father Mackie.
His mother was only sixteen years old when she gave
birth to Marlin, so she obviously had to grow up fast.
(03:19):
Marlin did as well, because two years after he was born,
Barnes's father was shot to death after a heated argument
with his best friend. Okay, this is pretty amazing. According
to a twenty twelve ESPN article, Marlin's mother raised him
to forgive others, so when he was in college, he
actually wrote a letter to his father's killer, who was
(03:40):
still in prison. Since the man was a Hurricane fan,
Barnes mailed him a press photo. I mean that gives
you a good idea of Marlin's character and maturity. It's
also a reflection of the strong mother who raised Marlin
and his three siblings on her own from an early age.
During high school, Marlin worked hard to raise SAT scores.
(04:02):
He attended a military prep school to lift his grades
and get into the University of Miami. According to his mother,
he became an inspiration his brothers, sister, and cousins could
all emulate. Charlie Postal worked two full time security jobs
to put Marlin through prep school. After being denied three
loan requests, she borrowed money from a friend to pay
(04:24):
for his tuition and pulled double duty to pay the
friend back. She sounds like a determined woman who was
willing to do anything to give her family the opportunities
she never had. I really admire that about her. Charlie
worked hard to get the family out of the Liberty
City projects in Northwest Miami. In an interview with ABC News,
(04:45):
Barnes's mother said, I did not want to stay in
government housing with my children. I wanted better for them,
and they deserved better. I gave it my all. Marlon
was probably seventeen when we bought our house and we
moved to Miami Garden. The neighborhoods that we came from.
They were dangerous neighborhoods, but we survived. She went on
(05:07):
to say Marlin was the first child in our family
period to go to college, adding everyone was proud and
he was the happiest kid on earth. She also explained
that Marlin was really thriving as a football player in college.
When it came time to choose a school, Barnes only
had one university in mind, the one they call simply
(05:28):
the year. Many of the Hurricane players, like ray Lewis,
an early roommate of Barnes, went on to become stars
in the NFL. Marlin was a reserve linebacker who was
expected to compete for a starting role his junior year.
He might not have been bound for the NFL like
some of his teammates, but Marlin had a bright future
(05:48):
beyond the grid iron. That is, before the morning of
April thirteenth, nineteen ninety six, when his life was cut
short along with his childhood friend, Tim Wunika. Marlin met
tim Wanka Lumpkins while attending North Miami High School. She
had a close relationship with her family, especially her grandmother,
and was working at Precision Response Corps, a telemarketing firm
(06:12):
at the time of her death. Like Marlon, she was
an athlete and played on the high school basketball team.
Marlin and tim Wanka ended up being a part of
a close group of friends, and there's conflicting information about
whether they were ever romantically linked. Lumpkin's family, who lovingly
called her a little bit, didn't believe they were anything
(06:32):
other than friends, nor did barnes family. In a recent
ABC article, Barnes's mother told ABC News. In the media
coverage it was portrayed as though Marlon and tim Wanka
were a couple. They were friends. He was lending a
helping hand to someone that asked him for help. The
bottom line is Marlon was a wonderful guy who went
(06:54):
out of his way to help friends and strangers alike.
According to the SOUN Centennial, just months before his death,
after the last football practice of spring, Barnes gave several
eleventh graders all of his practice equipment, including his ninety
dollars orange Nike cleats, which he gifted to a kid
who needed them in a size ten and a half.
(07:16):
He was always willing to help others, and just a
week prior, he had helped Tim Wunika move out of
the apartment she shared with her boyfriend Labrant Dennis, and
their two year old daughter, aunt Tansha. She was reportedly
moving in with her grandmother because Dennis was abusive. With
spring practice over, Barnes had a lot to celebrate. He
(07:37):
had just been voted the most improved player on the
Hurricanes defense, but he never imagined the following evening would
be his last night alive, according to the Sun's Centennial.
During the day, Marlon and his roommate Earl Little, dined
a red lobster. Barnes feasted on shrimp and steak as
the two discussed a joint final project for their African
(07:58):
American Studies course. They were to give an oral report
about black cultural leaders. Barnes wanted to enjoy the weekend, however,
so they agreed to tackle the schoolwork the following Monday.
On Saturday, Marlin planned on meeting up with his family
for a picnic lunch at Hollover Beach. They rented a
few movies and decided to relax for the rest of
(08:20):
the day. Barnes planned on going out to a Dolphins
Cowboys party at a local club. He asked Little to
join him, but his friends didn't feel like going out. Instead,
he loaned Marlin his Ford Explorer for the night, then
the two parted ways. That night, Marlin met up with
Tim Wunika at the South Beach night club Salvation, where
(08:41):
the party hosted by NFL players was located. They celebrated
Barnes being voted the most improved player and met up
with other friends at the club. They left the club
around five thirty am and walked several blocks to the
truck Earl Little had loaned Marlin. There, they discovered that
the tires of the truck had been slashed. As luck
(09:01):
would have it, the Ford Explorer was parked in front
of a towing company, and they got the vehicle back
to Marlin's apartment around six a m. Speaking to The
Sun Centennial, Charlie Postal said, I keep wondering if he
tried to call me. I think he might have if
he had gotten me, I would have gotten out of
this bed and brought him here instead of there. In
(09:23):
my heart, I know he would have been alive today.
It's heart wrenching for a mother to think she might
have missed her son's last phone call. I really feel
for her, but it's certainly not her fault that someone
targeted her son and his friend. The next morning, just
before sunrise, Earl Little came home to get his truck,
(09:44):
but noticed that someone had slashed his tires. He attempted
to open the door of his apartment, but something was
blocking the door. When Little peered through the door, he
saw a horrifying sight. Marlin, his best friend since grade school,
who was more like a brother, was lying on the
floor in a pool of blood. Marlin Little cried out
(10:05):
as he dropped to the ground to help his friend,
who was unrecognizable. His face had been caved in from
a savage beating, yet amazingly, Barnes was still alive. He
managed to say huh in response to Earle's voice. Little
could tell that Marlin was barely alive and had lost
a lot of blood. He ran out of the apartment
(10:26):
to get help. He rushed to a friend's apartment and
told them to call nine to one one. Dan Obert
of the Coral Gables Police Department arrived on the scene
at seven thirty four a m. Little told the officer
there was only one person wounded in the apartment. He
had no way of knowing. Tim Winniko was clinging to
life in the other room. Upon entering the apartment, officer
(10:50):
Obert observed Barnes lying on the floor with his head
leaning against the front door. As Obert proceeded through the
apartment to secure the area, he discovered a badly beaten
tim Winika Lumpkins in a bedroom. Lemkins was lying face
down and had severe trauma to the back of her skull.
When Opert returned to the living room, he watched Barnes
(11:10):
make an attempt to get up and then collapse. Paramedics
airlifted tim Wanika to Jackson Memorial Hospital, but she died
on route. Both Marlin and tim Wanika had been fatally
beaten with an unknown blunt object. Investigators also found fingerprints
at the scene, which they suspected were the killers. Since
(11:31):
Marlin was still wearing an expensive gold necklace and had
cashed in his pants pocket, detectives assumed the killer was
someone the victims new, and that robbery wasn't the primary motive.
There was clearly a lot of rache behind this attack,
which pointed to a more personal motive. Miami Dade Assistant
State's Attorney Floris ev spoke with podcast host Taylor Fetzner
(11:55):
and described the level of violence. The blood had spattered
up date the ceiling to the walls, Seph said. She
went on to say that an anyw shotgun shell was
found at the scene and a shotgun trigger guard. Around
eight a m. That morning, Tim Winika's ex boyfriend, Labrn
Dennis picked up his daughter Antanessha, who was with Tim
(12:17):
Winika's grandmother, Elizabeth McQueen. Hours later, McQueen learned about her
granddaughter's murder. McQueen was heartbroken, but she also had no
reason to believe that Auntansha's father might be involved in
her granddaughter's murder. Marlin's mother, Charlie, was also devastated by
the news of her son's murder. I just lost it,
(12:39):
Barnes's mother told ABC News just a few months ago, adding,
I was just baffled. I was sitting there thinking who
would want to hurt him? When the news broke across
campus that Saturday, Miami football players gathered in a conference
room in the athletic department. There were many tears as
they struggled to understand who could have killed their most
(13:01):
beloved player. No one had any answers because Marlin never
angered anyone. It was the most gruesome murder in school history.
That day, there was palpable tension across the campus as
police still did not have a suspect in the double murder.
Speaking at a press conference, school of president Edward Foot said,
(13:24):
our lives will never be quite the same. I imagine
it was hard to focus on classes after a tragedy
of this magnitude. The school doubled on campus security, and
many students stayed in at night and locked their doors.
We've been through some things here, Miami Athletic director Paul
d told Sports Illustrated, but this is an amazing tragedy.
(13:47):
In the days following the murder, the police had no
clear suspects. Marlin helped start a Rite Track program in
North Miami to steer the local youth away from gangs,
so investigators wondered if he hadn't been killed by a
gang in response to his charity work, but there was
no indication that Marlon was targeted by any of the
(14:08):
local gangs. Of course, the first person the police usually
suspect is the boyfriend or ex right. Tim Winka had
recently broken up with her boyfriend Lebrant Dennis, and Marlin
had helped her move out of the apartment she shared
with the man. If Dennis was jealous of Marlin and
suspected him and tim Winka were more than friends, he
(14:29):
would have a strong motive for committing murder. The only
problem was Lebrant Dennis was cooperative and even volunteered to
speak with investigators before they came looking for him. At
four pm that afternoon, lead Detective Thomas Romagni returned to
the police station, having been at the crime scene all day.
(14:51):
Lebrant Dennis was already at the station and eager to
speak with investigators about tim Winka after they informed him
that she had been murdered along with the Barnes. Dennis
said that on the night of the murders, he went
to a bachelor party after eleven pm, remaining there until
one thirty am. He said he then went home, changed clothes,
(15:12):
and around two am went to the party at Club Salvation.
You know, this same club where Barnes and Lumpkins just
happened to be Hmmm, coincidence or the confession of a stalker.
Dennis said that despite being the same club, he never
saw Marlon and Tim Winika. There. According to him, he
went home and the rest of the evening was uneventful.
(15:34):
Dennis also submitted to having his fingerprints taken and his
car searched. It seemed he was telling the truth, and
investigators had nothing to go on and no suspects. Eight
days after the double murder, Marlin and tim Winka were
laid to rest, and the authorities still had no answers.
(15:55):
At students at the University of Miami took their final exams,
they also had to worry if a killer was taking
a test right next to them, as if finals aren't
stressful enough. However, investigators were still conducting interviews and trying
to verify Dennis's alibi. For that morning, they focused on
the area around Club Salvation and found a witness who
(16:18):
worked at a gas station. She told police that a
guy was sitting in a gray Nissan in the gas
station parking lot the night of the murders. She asked
him to leave, but he refused, so she called the police.
When they arrived, the car took off, but returned once
the officers were gone. The only problem was that Dennis
didn't drive a gray Nissan. However, his girlfriend, Watsha Wallace
(16:43):
did and the car was registered in her name. Okay,
so that's suspicious behavior, but it doesn't really prove anything.
A few days later, though, police received a tip from
Joseph Stewart, one of Dennis's coworkers, who had some interesting information.
He told police that on April seventh, he loaned Dennis
(17:04):
his mother's shotgun. On April thirteenth, Dennis called his coworker
and told him he left the shotgun in the bushes
outside his mother's home. When Stuart opened the bag, he
discovered a knife and clothing, as well as the shotgun,
which was now damaged and missing the trigger guard. I mean,
why even return it. Here's the gun you let me borrow,
(17:28):
which I used to commit a double murder. Obviously, Dennis
wasn't a criminal mastermind, but he does return borrowed items.
So there's that. In a rather incredible twist of fate.
Marlin's mother used to work with Lebrant, Dennis, and Joseph
Stewart at the Durral Golf Resort and spa. On numerous
(17:48):
occasions over the course of a year, Charlie ate lunch
with Dennis and would often speak in glowing terms about
her son. Dennis's alibi was also scrutinized harder Frank, Assistant
Director of Public Safety, told United Press International he did
have an alibi, but as a result of the investigation,
(18:08):
along with the crime Stoppers tip, we were able to
discredit the alibi. Police tried to question Dennis about the
new information, but he gave no further statement. Yet not
much you can say when they have a smoking gun,
piece of evidence, or in this case, a broken gun.
With his alibi in tatters and having received the murder weapon,
(18:32):
police arrested Dennis and he was charged with the murders
of Timwanika Lumpkins and Marlon Barnes. Students in Coral Cables
breathed a sigh of relief that a suspect had been apprehended,
though they were no less shocked by the murder. Some
were relieved that the killer wasn't a student at the
university and that the killings weren't related to their beloved
(18:53):
Hurricanes football team. So who is Lebrant Dennis and what
was his motive? Lebrant Dennis had a similar background to
Marlon Barnes. He was raised in Liberty City at the
James E. Scott housing projects with his half brother Michael Dennis.
Dennis was also a star football player at Edison High School.
(19:15):
In the late eighties, he danced as a part of
a local group called Disco Rick. He also rapped for
a group called The Dogs, whose tracks included Dog Call,
Nasty Dance, Dookie Shoot, and their biggest hit, if you
can call it that your Mama's on Crack. I watched
the video on YouTube, so you don't have to trust me.
(19:36):
You can skip that one. The group achieved some local
success and released three albums, but they were forced to
disband when Dennis was arrested. Lebrant had two children with
two women and had been in and out of a
relationship with Tim Winika for nearly four years, and Tansha,
his daughter with Lumpkins, was three years old at the
(19:57):
time of the murder. It's baffling to me that someone
could brutally murder the mother of their own child. On
September eighth, nineteen ninety eight, Lebrandt Dennis went on trial
for two counts of first degree murder. Charlie Postell attended
the trial each day, wondering how the former coworker she
sat and ate lunch with could have taken her son's life.
(20:20):
I used to talk to him about my son, Charlie said,
adding I just couldn't put it together. Trial documents revealed
Dennis's motivation for the double murder, as revealed to officer
Romagni when he interviewed Dennis. When asked about his relationship
with Lumpkins, defendant told Romagne that the two had arguments
(20:42):
and that he might have slapped her on occasion. As
to Barnes, defendant indicated that he knew him and he
believed that he lived on campus. Defendant, however, told Romagne
that he had never been to Barnes's apartment. Defendant told
Romagne that he and Lumpkins had an argument the previous
(21:02):
week after she came home late after an evening out
with Barnes. Lumpkins was staying with the defendant at the
house of his cousin, Carolyn Williams and her boyfriend Jesse Pitts.
After the argument, Lumpkins moved out on April sixth. According
to the defendant, Pitts informed him that the person who
helped her out was driving a black Explorer. The defendant
(21:25):
believed that person to be Barnes. At a Brand's trial,
prosecutors explained that Dennis believed Barnes and Lumpkins were involved
in a romantic relationship. They claimed his intense jealousy of
Barnes drove him to plan and commit premeditated murder. To
establish motive, the state introduced evidence of prior incidents in
(21:45):
which Dennis stocked Lempkins and one incident in which he
threatened to kill her with a gun. A friend of
Dennis testified that he asked her to watch out for
Marlin hanging out with Tim Wanika because he believed marlnd
was messing with his baby's mother. A month prior to
the murders, Dennis asked the same witness where Barnes lived
(22:07):
and who lived with him. The state theorized that Dennis
waited for Marlin to come out of the club and
couldn't control himself, so he slashed the tires of the
truck and then followed the tow truck to the apartment.
He brought the shotgun and was able to get inside
the apartment. When the shotgun didn't work, he used it
(22:27):
as a club to beat Marlon and Timwinika to death.
Even more damaging testimony came from Joseph Stewart's girlfriend, Zamoria Wilson,
who was awakened by Dennis around seven am. He was
wearing all black and looking for Stuart, who happened to
be staying at his mother's house. The state introduced forensic
(22:48):
evidence that proved the trigger guard was an exact match
to the shotgun Dennis had borrowed from Stuart, But the
most difficult and compelling evidence was the crime scene photos.
Marlin's mother spoke to ABC News about it. The trial
was hard. I didn't look at any of the pictures.
I didn't want to see them. I listened to the
(23:09):
testimony that everybody gave. His defense was that Joseph Stewart
could have been the one that committed the murders because
it was his shotgun. It was, you know, heart wrenching
to hear that. Ultimately, Dennis was convicted of all charges.
In the penalty phase, the jury recommended the death penalty
(23:29):
with a vote of eleven to one. When the verdict
was read, Lebrant had an emotional outburst and had to
be restrained by officers. Dennis was sentenced to death in
nineteen ninety nine. In twenty sixteen, the Florida Supreme Court
reopened multiple death row sentences based on how many jurors
(23:50):
voted in favor of the death penalty, and in twenty twenty,
the court upheld the reversal of these death penalty convictions.
Dennis was moved off death row. For Marlin's mother, the
reversal felt like, quote, we're being murdered again. She went
on to say, Lebrandt chose to kill my child. He
(24:11):
nearly killed my family, but we survived it. Marlin and
tim Winka were, by all accounts, wonderful people whose lives
were cut short by a selfish and jealous killer who
incorrectly assumed they were more than friends. This case was
heavily covered by the media at the time because Marlon
was a member of a top college football team. In
(24:34):
this episode, I focused on Marlin's story more than Tim
Wanika's simply because unfortunately there's not much public information about Lumpkins.
The media in nineteen ninety six was so focused on
Marlin that oftentimes Tim Winka was overlooked. The other aspect
is that Marlin's family was more open with the media.
(24:55):
So we want to respect the Lumpkins family and their
desire to remain private. But I I do want to
say that Timwinika's life mattered just as much as Marlin's
and it's a tragedy that they didn't get to experience
all that life had to offer. Marlin's aunt, Carolyn Postel,
summed up Marlin's character this way, we all looked up
(25:16):
to him, trying to make something out of him, trying
to get a career. He showed the family I didn't
get my diploma. He got his diploma and went to college.
Everyone in the family loved that. He set a good
example for our children and will end on that positive note.
That's it for this episode of Murder You, and please
(25:38):
remember advocates of the National Domestic Violence Hotline are available
to talk confidentially with anyone in the United States who
is experiencing domestic violence, seeking resources or information, or questioning
unhealthy aspects of their relationship. Call one eight hundred seven
nine to nine safe one eight hundred seven nine nine
(26:00):
seven two three three. Be sure to like and subscribe
to Murder You on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, or
wherever you get your podcasts.
Popular Podcasts
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.