19-year-old Kalyn Denise O’Barr (MySpace) was by all accounts I have come across a smart, care-free girl who was full of life until the end. She was loved by family and friends alike, who will all miss her. Kalyn graduated from Ola High School in Henry County, GA back in 2008. As a matter of fact she was a member of the first graduating class from the school. She attended college briefly and also worked as an exotic dancer at the Pink Pony South in Atlanta in order to save money to go back to school.
I don’t yet know how O’Barr met her husband of two months, 21-year-old Marine Lance Corporal Patrick Thomas Poteat, but he was stationed in MCAS Miramar in California, which is one of the things that probably prompted Kalyn to want to move to Mira Mesa (Mira Mesa and Miramar are north of San Diego) where she and her husband lived. She applied for an adult entertainment permit with the San Diego PD as soon as she moved there back in September and went to work dancing at Goldfinger’s Gentemen’s Club, which is near the air station.
Kalyn and Patrick were married back in November 2009 and up until December 23rd seemed to be living an idyllic life. There were no outside signs of any discord and her family and friends all say that she was happy in California. Until December 23rd that is.
According to my original source article over at the AJC Kalyn called her mother on the 23rd of December and while she didn’t seem fearful she did say that Patrick might have an anger problem and that he had broken some things during a fight and oh, by the way, that she and Patrick had secretly gotten married.
This past Tuesday Lance Cpl Poteat didn’t show up for work so a friend/supervisor went to look for him. He received a text message from Poteat telling him to call 911 and force open the door to the apartment where “you’ll find my wife’s body”. When police got to the apartment they found Kalyn deceased with scratches on her neck but no clear cause of death. They have said that there were signs pointing to a homicide though, including a note on the refrigerator admitting to the murder.
Poteat was tracked through his cell phone heading toward Twentynine Palms, California (the largest Marine base in the world) and stopped by police. They read him his rights and he admitted to them that he had killed his wife.
An autopsy performed on Kalyn O’Barr determined that the cause of death was strangulation with a cord or rope. Poteat has been charged with Murder and is in the San Diego County Jail on $1 million bond after he pleaded not guilty earlier today.
Police haven’t released a motive in the murder yet. Was Patrick jealous of his wife’s line of work? It wouldn’t be the first time a man, particularly a newlywed, had gotten angry over attention other men might be giving their wives and Kalyn, who dance under the name “Darla” was certainly attractive enough. A good friend of Kalyn’s, also a dancer, posted this video on Youtube earlier today of she and “Darla” and another dancer on their way to a video shoot (nothing nasty, so it is safe for work).
I suppose there could be something else that prompted Patrick Poteat to take the life of an innocent girl but right now it looks like his jealousy and anger got the best of him.
Updated 6/8/2010 – Nothing solid to post but it’s been quite some time since I’ve updated this.
Patrick Poteat was due to be arraigned in Superior Court on May 12th. I don’t have the results of that or know if the trial date has been set yet. Anyone with more information is more than welcome to update us with it, anonymously or not. Thanks.
Updated 8/23/10 – I meant to post an update over a week ago, the news stories have been sitting in an open tab in my web browser. Sorry, been busy. Now that that’s out of the way let’s get to the meat of it.
Patrick Poteat pleaded guilty to Murder back on August 13th. He’s due to be sentenced on November 10th and can expect to get anywhere from 15 years to life.
Source | Patrick Poteat’s MySpace (and cached version here) | Patrick’s ValleyGamer’s Profile | Kalyn O’Barr’s Twitter
