Barry James Schmalbach was a man who was last seen in Cape Coral, Florida, on July 19, 2023.
His boyfriend, Christopher Gregory Davis, has been arrested and charged with his murder.
Case[]
Barry was last seen leaving Cruisers Bar in Cape Coral, Florida, at 11 PM on July 19. That night, he had gotten into an argument with his live-in boyfriend of four months, Christopher Gregory Davis, and walked out of the bar while Christopher chased after him. That same night, Barry left a voicemail for his friend, sounding very upset and expressing his need to end his relationship with Christopher because he could no longer tolerate the situation. Barry's friend interpreted this as Barry needing him to help him break up with Christopher and kick him out of the apartment. However, when he tried to call Barry back, he received no answer.
On July 20, Christopher texted Barry's friend's husband screenshots of a supposed conversation between himself and Barry, during which Barry said he was fine and was staying with friends because he needed space. However, Barry's friend and his husband do not believe the text conversation was authentic.
On July 21, Barry's friend and his husband let themselves into Barry's apartment with a key they had been given after nobody answered the door. The apartment was very messy, with personal belongings scattered and mud tracked everywhere, and all the lights were on. The state of Barry's apartment was uncharacteristic of him.
On July 22, Christopher called the Cape Coral police to report Barry missing, stating he was very worried. He said that Barry had left his smartwatch behind, and when Christopher turned it on, he found a text about Barry having dinner with someone on July 21. Later that same day, Christopher told the police he saw Barry near their home on the morning of July 20, getting into a car he didn't recognise, possibly an Uber. Authorities later determined that this story was false.
Barry's Jeep wasn't in the parking lot of his apartment when his friends arrived on July 21. The next day, on July 22, it had reappeared. The sides of the Jeep were mud-stained, there was a lot of sand in the back, and the car was unlocked. All of this was too uncharacteristic of Barry. Barry was described as a neat person who usually kept his vehicle and apartment clean and also maintained close contact with his family.
Between July 21 and July 23, Christopher purchased a pickaxe, a shovel, a fireproof safe, a deadbolt lock, and a swing bar guard lock. He later disposed of the pickaxe and shovel, which he said he needed to remove tree roots. Five days after Barry's disappearance, while interviewing Christopher, authorities noted fresh injuries on him, including cuts and scratches on his hands, forearms, ankles, and shins. Police used cadaver dogs to check Barry's Jeep, and the dogs detected the scent of human decomposition in the Jeep. The Jeep had pinged multiple times in Hendry County, Florida after Barry went missing. During the time of Barry's disappearance, Christopher had rented an Airbnb in Clewiston, Hendry County, under his brother's name and paid for it using his brother's credit card. The property owner stated that after Christopher checked out, they found an unusual amount of sand and debris inside.
A neighbor who lived below the couple's apartment said that the night Barry disappeared, she heard sounds like someone being tossed around in the couple's bedroom, as well as the sounds of a muffled voice yelling and crying. She assumed Barry and Christopher were having an altercation but didn't intervene or call the police. Another neighbor who also lived below the couple said that two days after Barry disappeared, he was awakened at 4 AM by noises that sounded like a tarp being dragged. He went outside and saw Christopher dragging something on the ground; shortly after that, he heard the sound of a car driving away.
In January 2024, authorities charged Christopher with Barry's murder, as well as tampering with a corpse and the use of personal identification of a deceased individual. He was extradited back to Florida and has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is awaiting trial. Barry's remains have not been located.
Characteristics[]
- Blond hair, bald on top.
- Clean shaven face.
- Blue eyes.
- Serious heart condition which requires medication.
- Previously experienced a heart attack.
Sources[]
- Barry Schmalbach at NamUs
- Barry Schmalbach at the Charley Project