Hawaii Serial Killer: Disturbing Case of Eugene Barrett

Eugene Barrett was born on June 30, 1931, in Oakland, California. The details of his childhood are largely a mystery, but we know that he attended the Washington Intermediate School in Honolulu until he dropped out in the 9th grade. In his twenties, Barrett served in the Korean War but was ultimately discharged from the army in 1955 due to his excessive drinking.

Relationship with Annie Phillips and First Murder

After leaving the military, Barrett decided to make Honolulu, Hawaii his permanent home. At some point, he became involved with a woman named Annie Phillips, a divorced mother of five children. The nature and duration of their relationship are unclear, but it eventually ended in 1959 when Annie, fed up with Barrett’s heavy drinking, ended the relationship. Unable to accept the rejection, Barrett traveled to Annie’s apartment, forced his way in, and shot her to death in front of her young children. He was arrested immediately and convicted of the murder, initially receiving a life sentence that was later reduced to 15-50 years.

Early Release and Second Murder

In a surprising move, the then-governor of Hawaii, John A. Burns, commuted Barrett’s sentence to just 8 years in 1967, allowing him to be released. Barrett managed to get married in 1971, but the marriage to Roberta Alviro ended in less than two years. In November 1973, Barrett stabbed Roberta multiple times at a hotel where she was staying, killing her. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 10 years, but was released on parole after only 4 years.

Later Life and Third Murder

For several years, Barrett lived a relatively quiet life in his apartment complex, despite his continued heavy drinking. However, he eventually began having issues with his neighbor, 41-year-old Donisha Roxanne Castner. The nature of their relationship was unclear, but Barrett claimed that Castner mocked him and indecently exposed herself in front of him. Castner’s friends, on the other hand, said she would sometimes call them claiming Barrett was going to harm her.

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The situation escalated to the point where Barrett was voluntarily admitted for psychiatric treatment in 1995. But this did little to improve the situation. After being released, Barrett mistakenly believed that Castner had moved away and became even angrier. On August 11, 1995, after a day of heavy drinking, Barrett went to Castner’s apartment, shot her twice in the head, and killed her.

Conviction and Death

Barrett’s third arrest caused public outrage, and this time, he was sentenced to life in prison. He spent the majority of his sentence in an out-of-state facility in Oklahoma. Before being returned to Hawaii, where he died at the Pali Momi Medical Center in 2003 from an undisclosed illness.