Bryson Smith Obituary – A 52-year-old man from Olathe, Kansas, named Christopher M. Barwick has been found guilty of murder by a jury in Johnson County.
The murder took place in April 2023 and the victim was Barwick’s stepson, Bryson Smith, who was 26 years old at the time.
The Johnson County District Attorney’s Office confirmed the verdict of first-degree murder. Barwick’s attorney, Albert Harris, was not available for comment. Initially, Barwick claimed self-defense, stating that he shot his stepson after being threatened with a knife.
The incident occurred during an armed disturbance between family members at Barwick’s residence on South Windsor Road.
When the police arrived, they discovered Smith with a gunshot wound to the back of his head and a knife with a white handle near his hand.
Smith was taken to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries two days later.
According to a redacted probable cause affidavit, Barwick wanted Smith to leave the house, leading to an altercation that ended in the fatal shooting.
Surveillance footage captured Barwick entering the garage and later coming from the direction of the basement into the kitchen, where sounds of a drawer opening and metal scraping were heard.
The video allegedly showed Barwick with a white-handled knife heading towards the basement before going out of view. Barwick is currently in custody.
