Serial Killer Cesar Barone #truecrime

Barone

From April 1991 to January 1993 a vicious serial killer went on a crime which included the murder of at least 4 women in Hillsboro and Portland, Oregon. Some of the victims were strangled to death while others were shot execution style. This depraved monster also spent time in prison with notorious serial killer, Ted Bundy.

Cesar Barone aka Adolph James Rhode, the Ogre of Oregon.

Cesare Barone was born in Ft Lauderdale Florida on December 4, 1960. His birth name was Adolph James Rhode. Growing up, Cesares family was hectic. His older brother and sister and he were raised by their biological parents until Cesare was 3. After his parents divorce, he lived with his dad and his girlfriend until he was 12 then just his father until he was 17.

When he was still a child, Barone began acting out. He was caught stealing toys and threatening other kids until he was expelled from kindergarten. His threats included saying that he was going to stab the other children and also burn their eyes with cigarettes.

As a teenager, there were clear indications of the crimes young man would grow up to commit. At age 15, he broke into the home of an elderly neighbor named Alice Stock. Barone threatened her with a knife and instructed her to take off her clothes. When she refused, he fled.

This and other criminal acts led to a brief stay at a juvenile detention facility. Upon his release, he began abusing drugs and alcohol. Barone also continued committed burglaries and other assaults until he was locked up for 2 years in 1977 at age 17.

In 1979, when Cesare Barone was released he showed no signs of changing his criminal lifestyle. One of his first after getting out of prison was to break into his fathers home and attempt to strangle his stepmother. In that same year, just weeks after Barones release, Alice Stock was also murdered. She was assaulted then strangled to death, but there was never enough evidence to conclusively point to Barone as the killer.

Over the next several months, Cesare Barone assaulted multiple people and was once again committing burgularies. One of his victims was his own grandmother, who he beat and robbed. At this point his family severed ties with him. In March of 1980, Barone was arrested for burgulary but his biological mother posted his bail.

In August of that year, Barone was found guilty of the burgularies and sentenced to 5 years. However, with good behavior he could get out in as little as 2 years. But in 1981 Cesare ensured that he would not be let go early.

In July he attempted to escape from the road crew he was part of as they worked along a freeway. When this was unsuccessful, Barone went on a tangent over the next month and ended up receiving an additional year on his sentence.

Due to the escape attempt, his security level was increased and he was moved to the Marion Correctional Facility. He would be moved again after his aggressive behavior continued to the Cross City Correctional institution. It was at this facility, Barone escalated his animosity towards the guards and staff to violence.

Gladys Dean was a 59 year old woman who oversaw the prison kitchen where Barone was assigned to clean. On August 23rd 1983, he attacked Dean. After struggling to remove the woman’s clothing, he began to strangle her. Gladys was able to remove his hands from her neck and when he realized he could not easily subdue her, Barone fled.

He was soon transferred again, and at this prison he would meet one of Americas most infamous serial killers. With an additional 3 years added to his sentence, Barone found himself at Starke Prison. The prison was known as one of the worst in Florida at the time.

Ted Bundy was also at Starke Prsion at this time. Barone was said to be enamored with the interstate killer. He bragged to other inmates about his friendship with Bundy.

In 1986, a woman name Kathi Scarbrough began a pen pal relationship with Barone after he responded to a personal ad she placed. He told her a variety of lies including that he was from Milan, Italy and had served in the Italian special forces. It was around this time, that the soon to be killer changed his name from Adolph James Rhode to Cesare Francisco Barone. He told Lockhart that it was the name of his family in Italy.

In April of 1987, Barone was released from prison and went to meet Kathi Scarbrough. The pair formed a relationship and together moved to Washington state. They soon got married and moved to Hillsboro Oregon.

Over the next few years, Barone held a variety of jobs including a brief stint in the US Army. During his time in the military, he recieved certification as a sharpshooter with the M16 and as an EMT. He also claimed to have killed both soldiers and civilians during Operation Just Cause which ended with the capture of Noriega in Panama. Barones claims have not been corroborated and his military career ended in late 1990 when police informed the Army of his criminal background.

Soon after being discharged from the military, Cesare and Kathi had a son. And only 3 months later, the murders began. The first known victim was 61 year old Margaret Schmidt. On the night of April 18th 1991, Barone broke into her home and assaulted her before smothering her with a pillow. She was discovered the next day by a caregiver.

The second known victim of Cesare Barone was 41 year old Martha Bryant. The midwife was driving home from a shift at the hospital in October of 1992, when Barone shot up her car with a 9mm handgun. He then pulled her from the vehicle and assaulted her before shooting her in the head. Almost immediately, police began getting calls reporting a body in the road.

23 year old Chantee Woodman was the next to fall prey to the disgusting creature. 3 months after the murder of Bryant, on December 30 1992, Barone was lurking in bars in search of prey. He met Chantee Woodman and the 2 left together along with a third man, Leonard Darcell who would be an accomplice in the murder.

The 2 men beat and pistol whipped Chantee Woodman as they assaulted her. Her body was found dumped on the side of the road in Vernonia Oregon with a gunshot wound under her chin. Bullet casings at the scene matched those found at the scene of Martha Bryant’s murder.

Barones last victim was 51 year old Betty Lou Williams. On January 6, 1993, the two were drinking together in her apartment. When she went to use the bathroom, Barone followed in her and pulled out his gun. As he began to assault her, Williams had a heart attack and died.

In February of 1993, a failed attack on Matilda Gardner would lead to the arrest of the killer. She was a former landlord of Barone and so when she managed to fight him off, was able to identify him. On February 27th, 1993, Cesare Barone was arrested.

While in prison for the attack on Gardner, Barone bragged to other inmates of the murders. The other inmates were so disgusted that they informed the guards of what he had said.

The trial for Cesare Barone began on November 6th 1995. He was found guilty and for the crimes against Martha Bryant, Chantee Woodman and Margaret Schmidt, he received 3 death sentences. For the murder of Betty Lou Williams, Barone recieved 89 years.

In January 1996, he was also extradited to Florida to stand trial for the murder of Alice Stock. This case would ultimately be dropped against Barone, but so were his appeals to get off death row. A different kind of death sentence was handed down to the killer when he discovered he had a malignant tumor in his heart. On December 24, 2009, Barone died at the Oregon state penitentiary in Salem at age 49.

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