Kenosha, Wis. — A 43-year-old Kenosha man, Jason T. Barnhill, has been charged with multiple felonies, including Intimidating a Witness, Stalking, and Threats to Communicate Derogatory Information. He also faces a misdemeanor charge of Intimidating a Victim. Barnhill, a repeat offender, remains in custody at the Kenosha County Jail as he awaits his initial court appearance on March 20, 2025.

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Pending Criminal Cases

Barnhill is already facing serious charges in two separate Kenosha County cases, 24CF1227 and 24CF1228, involving allegations of sexual assault, false imprisonment, battery, and bail jumping. These cases stem from incidents involving the same victim, identified as Jane Doe.

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Case 24CF1227

Barnhill is charged with:

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• OWI 4th Offense
• Criminal Trespass to Dwelling
• False Imprisonment
• 2nd Degree Sexual Assault – Use of Force
• Battery
• Disorderly Conduct
• Two counts of Felony Bail Jumping

His cash bond was originally set at $100,000 on August 16, 2024, and was later reduced to $80,000 by Judge Jason Rossell, though he never posted bail.

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Case 24CF1228

Barnhill is also charged with:

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• Two counts of Felony Bail Jumping
• Disorderly Conduct
• Battery
• 4th Degree Sexual Assault

In this case, his bond was initially set at $50,000 but was later reduced to $19,000 by Judge Jason Rossell, which he also did not post. A motion for joinder of these two cases is currently pending before the Kenosha County Circuit Court.

Intimidation Allegations and Jailhouse Calls

Detective Tommar Franklin of the Kenosha Police Department reviewed recorded phone calls between Barnhill and his mother, Kathleen Vandenberg, from the Kenosha County Jail. The calls revealed Barnhill’s repeated attempts to coerce Jane Doe into recanting her statements against him. Some key exchanges include:

• On August 15, 2024, Barnhill instructed his mother to contact Jane Doe and persuade her to drop the charges.
• On August 16, 2024, Vandenberg informed Barnhill that she had spoken to Jane Doe, who had shared an audio recording of Barnhill yelling at and attacking her.
• Barnhill repeatedly pressured his mother to convince Jane Doe to recant her allegations and to speak with his attorney to change her statement.
• Conversations between Barnhill and Vandenberg suggested coded language was used, referring to Jane Doe as “Aunt Ann” to disguise their discussions about witness tampering.
• Barnhill at times implied suicidal thoughts, blamed alcohol for his actions, and asserted that the charges should be dropped.

Further Evidence of Witness Intimidation

Text messages between Barnhill and Jane Doe prior to the August 15, 2024, incident revealed signs of coercion and threats. In one exchange on August 8, 2024, Jane Doe texted, “You’re scaring me,” to which Barnhill responded, “If you don’t bring Mateo back I’m calling the police.” Later that day, Jane Doe messaged, “I can’t do this, that was the very last straw.”

Additionally, Vandenberg admitted during recorded calls that she was worried about getting into trouble for her involvement in contacting Jane Doe on Barnhill’s behalf.

Barnhill’s Criminal Record

Barnhill has a history of criminal offenses, with three misdemeanor convictions in the past five years, qualifying him as a repeat offender under Wisconsin law. Despite his multiple pending cases and ongoing investigation, he has continued to pressure Jane Doe to alter her statements in an attempt to avoid prosecution.

Legal Proceedings

With his initial court appearance scheduled for March 20, 2025, Barnhill remains in jail, unable to post bond in either of his pending felony cases. The Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office is expected to argue for the consolidation of cases and additional charges related to witness tampering.

Further developments will be reported as they arise.

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