Inset left to right: Jamal Parker, Mario Andre Barber, and Brittany Amber Baker (Douglas County Sheriff's Office). Background: The residence where Barber and Baker allegedly killed and dismembered Parker in Douglasville, Ga. (WSB-TV).
A Georgia man and woman are behind bars for the death and dismemberment of an Atlanta bartender, Peach State police say.
Mario Andre Barber, 46, and Brittany Amber Baker, 42, stand accused of one count each of murder over the death of 37-year-old Jamal Parker, according to jail records reviewed by Law&Crime.
The investigation began on May 15, when human remains were discovered in the Dog River Reservoir, a 256-acre recreational area and drinking-water lake located some 30 miles west of Atlanta.
The find along Highway 166 in Douglasville first led investigators out to the community. Law enforcement shared photos and renderings of a tattoo on the deceased man's body in an effort to help identify him, according to a report by Atlanta-based ABC affiliate WSB.
On June 15, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation identified Parker as the victim using DNA comparison analysis, authorities said.
The charges against Barber and Baker were filed the next day. Details remain scarce, and law enforcement did not immediately reveal how investigators came to believe the victim was connected with the defendants.
The victim's family, however, shed some light during and after a court hearing for the defendants earlier this week, WSB reported.
Parker's father said a woman who used to date the victim called after seeing the tattoo images shared on the news. The father provided his own DNA to a detective and law enforcement was eventually able to identify the slain man. The father also had words for the assailants.
"It's the kind of stuff you see on TV," the victim's father told the TV station. "They had no remorse."
The victim's family elaborated on the grim circumstances of Parker's death — saying that parts of his body were found in the reservoir.
"We can't even have a regular funeral because of his condition," the father continued.
The victim's father described him as a well-known bartender who poured drinks at establishments across the Atlanta area, saying he was beloved by everyone but his alleged killers.
Deputies believe the defendants killed Parker at a residence on Langdale Chase Street, WSB reported. In late May, investigators reportedly spent four days searching the residence and removed a reciprocating saw, cleaning supplies, and air fresheners.
At the time, Barber and Baker were charged over a litany of alleged crimes — felony and misdemeanor — related to identity theft, forgery and drugs, Douglas County jail records show.
The pair had stolen multiple driver's licenses and manufactured IDs, license plates and license registrations, according to arrest warrants.
It was not immediately clear how the defendants knew Parker — or if the alleged forgery scheme was related to his killing.
"The Douglas County Sheriff's Office appreciates the public's assistance and cooperation as investigators continue to pursue all leads in this case," the law enforcement agency said.
For now, the victim's family wants justice.
"I want them to be punished," Parker's father said. "And I don't even think a life sentence is good enough."
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