The Season 5 finale of The Perfect Murder arrives Sept. 27 with one last brutal case, examining the 1996 killings of University of Miami football player Marlin Barnes and his friend Timwanika Lumpkins. According to CBS Miami, a suspect was eventually convicted for the crimes. But is Labrant Dennis still in prison in 2018?
Per CBS, Dennis, who pleaded innocent, has tried multiple times to appeal his sentence but has been continuously denied. According to Florida's Commission on Capital Cases, the South Florida resident was convicted on two counts of first degree murder and one count of armed burglary with assault or battery. He was sentenced to death in 1999. As of 2018, he remains on Florida's death row list, indicating that he's still awaiting his death penalty sentence.
However, his Florida Department of Corrections inmate records list him as "out of [department] custody by court order," which, according to the Florida Times-Union, is a term used when an inmate has been transferred to a county jail for a court hearing. It's possible that Dennis is trying for yet another appeal, but has not been released.
His attempts to get out of prison will likely be brought up during The Perfect Murder episode, but the TV Guide synopsis suggests there will be an emphasis on the victims. It reads:
"University of Miami linebacker Marlin Barnes and his friend Timwanika Lumpkins are beaten to death in Marlin's apartment. As detectives search for the vicious killer, the crime sends shockwaves through the campus and community."
According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Barnes' teammate Earl Little found Barnes alive but badly beaten and barely breathing in their shared apartment on April 13, 1996. Fearing that the perpetrator was still nearby, he ran to a nearby friend's house and called the police. Authorities subsequently arrived at the scene and found a second victim, Timwanika Lumpkins, who had also been beaten nearly to death. Eventually, both Barnes and Lumpkins succumbed to their injuries and died.
Dennis was arrested 17 days later and charged with the murders, the Orlando Sentinel reported. According to Florida's Commission on Capital Cases, it was revealed during the investigation that Dennis was Lumpkins' ex-boyfriend and the two shared a child. He also admitted to having an argument with Lumpkins the week before her death, after she had spent time out with Barnes and come home late at night.
According to trial documents, Lumpkins moved out of her home with Dennis following that fight. Dennis said during the trial that he thought Barnes helped her move, and the prosecution alleged that his motive for the murders was jealousy.
Today, Dennis remains on death row awaiting his sentence and continuing to carry out appeal attempts. His inmate records show that he was 23 when the murders took place, which would now put him at 45 years old. You can catch up on the details of his case and learn more about the lives of Barnes and Lumpkins during The Perfect Murder Season 5 finale on Investigation Discovery, airing Thursday at 9 p.m. ET.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, call 911 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1(800) 799-SAFE (7233) or visit thehotline.org.
