LUBBOCK, Texas — A witness told detectives that Joseph Barrera, 25, went to Lubbock to “kill a child molester that lived in the neighborhood,” court documents obtained by EverythingLubbock.com on Friday revealed.
Police were called to the 5000 block of 38th Street around 11:08 p.m. on July 15. Officers arrived and found Richard Paul, 61, with a single gunshot wound and pronounced dead at the scene.
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Court records stated detectives spoke to a family member who said a suspect showed up at their home and asked for Paul. The family member told police the suspect said his name was something like “Bourbon” then indicated his name was “Joe Biden,” court records stated.
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The family member said the suspect shot Paul in the head before fleeing the scene. A Crime Line tip on July 25 pointed authorities to Barrera. Court documents stated a family member of Barrera’s lived nearby and used to be a friend of Paul’s but stopped speaking to him after she learned he was a registered sex offender. Public records showed Paul was convicted in 1995 of sexual assault of a 4-year-old girl and in 1998 of aggravated sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl.
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Court records said after Paul was killed, Barrera gave a friend his gun because it was “hot,” indicating it was used in a crime. One witness told detectives Barrera wanted to get rid of his scooter because “it had dirt on it,” court records stated. Police located Barrera on August 10 in Spur as he was about to ride off on his scooter. Authorities noticed the scooter looked like it had been recently painted red.
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Another witness told detectives that Barrera said he was in Lubbock to babysit for a family member, but said the actual purpose was to “kill a child molester that lived in the neighborhood,” court documents stated. The witness told police Barrera often spoke about wanting to “catch a body.” According to court records, the witness told police Barrera left the area on a scooter after the shooting. Court records said Barrera tried to paint the scooter and sell it after the murder. Court records said this account was corroborated by detectives seeing the scooter days earlier.
Court records also detailed text messages between Paul and Barrera’s family member. In the messages, Paul indicated he had done time for his past offenses, wished her well and said he would leave her alone…