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Bronx, New York

The Murder of Joseph Barney

● Charges Filed, Awaiting Trial Child Homicide Disabled Victim
Victim
Joseph Barney
Age
8
Date of Death
June 1, 2021
Location
Bronx, New York
Cause of Death
Battered Child Syndrome
Accused
Sharay Barney & Michael Ransom
Relationship
Mother and Stepfather
Status
Charged, Awaiting Trial
01
Victim Information

Joseph Barney

Joseph Barney, eight-year-old victim
Joseph Barney
Age: 8
Date of Death: June 1, 2021
Location: Bronx, New York
Cause of Death: Battered child syndrome

Joseph Barney was 8 years old, living in the Bronx with his mother and stepfather. He was autistic and nonverbal. Joseph enjoyed watching videos of subway trains, and monkeys were his favorite animal. His favorite foods were pizza, ice cream, candy, fruit snacks, and Capri Suns.

His mother, Sharay Barney, and stepfather, Michael Ransom, were his sole caretakers at the time of his death.

02
What We Know

A 30-Pound Eight-Year-Old

On June 1, 2021, Sharay Barney brought her 8-year-old son, Joseph, to the emergency room at Montefiore Medical Center's North Division in the Bronx. He was unconscious and unresponsive, with no obvious signs of trauma initially observed. Joseph was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Joseph weighed just 30 pounds at the time of his death. The average weight for an 8-year-old boy is between 46 and 78 pounds. Hospital staff reported the case to police, and the New York City Medical Examiner's Office later determined his death to be a homicide, with the cause of death listed as battered child syndrome.

According to the Bronx District Attorney's Office, Joseph's body showed both fresh and healing wounds consistent with blunt force trauma, along with ligature marks on his wrists suggesting he had been restrained. Sharay Barney and Michael Ransom, who were Joseph's sole caretakers, allegedly admitted they did not seek medical attention for him even after recognizing he was not eating and was having difficulty breathing in the day before his death.

Police also stated that Joseph had previously been brought to the same medical center on multiple occasions with indications of possible abuse.

03
Case Timeline

From Death to Indictment

June 1, 2021
Joseph Pronounced Dead
+

Sharay Barney brings Joseph to the Montefiore Medical Center emergency room, unconscious and unresponsive. He is pronounced dead shortly after. No arrests are made at this time; the investigation continues while the medical examiner determines cause of death.

Early March 2022
Death Ruled a Homicide
+

Nearly nine months after Joseph's death, the New York City Medical Examiner's Office rules his death a homicide, listing the cause as battered child syndrome.

March 21, 2022
Sharay Barney and Michael Ransom Arrested
+

Nearly 10 months after Joseph's death, police arrest Sharay Barney, 29, and Michael Ransom, 33, on charges of murder, manslaughter, manslaughter of a person under 11 years old, and aggravated manslaughter.

April 27, 2022
Both Defendants Indicted
+

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announces both defendants have been indicted and arraigned on second-degree charges at Bronx Supreme Court. "These defendants allegedly starved and beat an 8-year-old autistic child," Clark says. "We will seek justice for the little boy, whose life was cut short so tragically." As of the most recent reporting available for this page, the case remains pending, with no reported trial date, plea, or verdict.

04
The Investigation

Building the Case

The investigation began at the hospital, where emergency room staff at Montefiore Medical Center reported Joseph's death to police after observing his severely malnourished condition. The New York City Medical Examiner's Office conducted an autopsy that documented extensive injuries and ultimately ruled the death a homicide due to battered child syndrome, a diagnosis reserved for cases showing a pattern of repeated physical abuse over time rather than a single incident.

Investigators with the Bronx District Attorney's Office reviewed Joseph's prior medical history and found he had been brought to the same medical center on previous occasions with indications consistent with abuse. Detectives also documented both fresh and healing wounds on Joseph's body at the time of his death, along with ligature marks on his wrists, evidence that was central to the case presented to the grand jury that indicted both defendants in April 2022.

05
The Accused

Sharay Barney and Michael Ransom

No Photo
Available
Sharay Barney
Age 29 at Arrest, Bronx, New York
Relationship to Victim: Biological mother
Charges: Murder, manslaughter, manslaughter of a person under 11 years old, aggravated manslaughter
Status: Indicted April 27, 2022; as of the most recent reporting available, the case remains pending
No Photo
Available
Michael Ransom
Age 33 at Arrest, Bronx, New York
Relationship to Victim: Stepfather, not Joseph's biological father
Charges: Murder, manslaughter, manslaughter of a person under 11 years old, aggravated manslaughter
Status: Indicted April 27, 2022; as of the most recent reporting available, the case remains pending

Sharay Barney and Michael Ransom, Joseph's mother and stepfather, have been charged with murder and manslaughter in connection with his death. Both were his sole caretakers at the time. Neither has been convicted of any charge, and both are presumed innocent unless and until a verdict is reached. As of the most recent reporting available for this page, the case has not gone to trial. This page will be updated as proceedings continue.

Things to Note

Context Around This Case

Prior Hospital Visits That Raised Concerns +
A Nonverbal Child's Vulnerability +
Severe Malnutrition Reaching a Fatal Point +
In Memoriam

Joseph Barney

Joseph Barney loved watching videos of subway trains. Monkeys were his favorite animal. He liked pizza, ice cream, candy, fruit snacks, and Capri Suns, the small, specific joys of being 8 years old. He was autistic and nonverbal, which meant he could not tell anyone outside his home what was happening to him. Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark called his life "cut short so tragically," and it was. Joseph deserved a childhood built around subway videos and monkeys and the foods he loved, not the last months of his life. He is remembered here, and he is not forgotten.

Joseph Barney, memorial photo
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