A Lakewood man who called 911 after finding his wife bloody and unresponsive in the shower last week was arrested on suspicion of murder in her death after his inconsistent story raised red flags with investigators, according to court documents.
The wife, Lindsey Barnett, worked as an art teacher in Jeffco Public Schools, officials confirmed Tuesday.
Patrick “Ted” Barnett called Lakewood police to report he found his wife not breathing and unresponsive and told officers who responded to their home in the 1700 block of South Welch Circle shortly after 6 a.m. Thursday morning that Lindsey Barnett had cut her throat, according to his arrest affidavit.
First responders found Lindsey Barnett’s body in the shower, with a large gash along her neck and a 5-inch knife near her, investigators wrote in the affidavit. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators also found evidence suggesting the woman was injured in her bedroom and moved to the bathroom, according to the affidavit.
Ted Barnett told Lakewood police officers that he had last seen his wife between 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, after fighting about that nightap dinner, the affidavit stated. He told police that they had been sleeping in separate bedrooms because of their “relationship issues.”
He said he woke up at about 5:30 a.m. Thursday and went to check on his wife and their two children, according to the affidavit. That’s when he claimed to have found her body.
While Ted Barnett initially claimed that there was no infidelity on his or Lindsey Barnett’s part, a woman claiming to be his girlfriend called dispatchers at 2:46 p.m. Thursday to request a welfare check on the man, police said, because they hadn’t spoken since 11 p.m. Wednesday.
She said Ted Barnett had told her he was divorcing his wife, and that she had no idea Lindsey Barnett was still involved in his life.
Ted Barnett then changed his story, claiming his wife knew about that relationship and was fine with it, but that they hadn’t told anyone else, according to the affidavit.
He had several unexplained injuries that were consistent with defensive wounds and dried blood on his neck and behind his ear, police said in the affidavit. Investigators said Lindsey Barnett also had unexplained bruises.
“When told Lindsey died in bed and did not get to the shower on her own, Ted repeated that was where he found her,” investigators wrote in the affidavit. “He claimed to have no knowledge of what happened.”
Lindsey Barnett worked as an art teacher at Hutchinson and Westgate elementary schools in Jefferson County, according to a letter shared with families by school district officials. She was hired at the schools in August 2025, a spokesperson for the school district said.
“Lindsey was a joy to have in our school. She brought a deep passion for teaching art, a sweet soul, and an extraordinary dedication to our students,” Hutchinson Elementary Principal DeAnn Hoffman wrote in the letter.
Ted Barnett was next scheduled to appear in court on Friday for a status conference. As of Monday, he had not yet been charged in his wife’s death.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
