DAISY Coleman accused Matthew Barnett of sexually assaulting her when she was 14 in the 2016 Netflix documentary Audrie and Daisy.
Daisy, 23, took her own life in August 2020, with her mother tragically committing suicide just four months later on December 6. But who is Matthew Barnett and what happened in Missouri in 2012?
Who is Daisy Coleman and when did she die?
Daisy, 23, was an alleged sexual assault survivor.
Her father passed away in a crash when she was young and her brother Tristan tragically died in June 2018 in a car accident.
In 2012, Daisy, then 14, said she was raped by another teenager named Matthew Barnett, 17, in their small Missouri town.
Daisy and a 13-year-old friend alleged that they were sexually assaulted and plied with alcohol during a party at Barnett’s home.
In 2016, Daisy was featured in the Netflix documentary Audrie & Daisy, which focused on the alleged assault and its aftermath.
Daisy co-founded SafeBAE to help young victims of sexual assault with Shael Norris.
On Tuesday, August 4, 2020, Daisy was found dead after her mom called the cops to check on her well-being.
She died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound while on a FaceTime call to her boyfriend.
During the Netflix documentary, Daisy’s family said she had attempted suicide twice after harassment on social media.
Who is Matthew Barnett?
Matthew Barnett was a Maryville High senior who was accused of sexually assaulting Daisy Coleman.
Barnett was a 17-year-old high school football player on the same football team as Daisy’s brother Charlie when the incident occurred.
His granddad is Missouri Republican Rep Rex Barnett.
In 2012, Daily Mail reported that Rex served on at least one committee with Sheriff Darrin White at the time.
Barnett pleaded guilty in January 2014 to a misdemeanor child endangerment charge, but not sexual assault.
He was sentenced to two years of probation and a suspended jail term for four months.
What are the accusations against him?
Barnett was initially arrested on charges of sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
The second charge was for allegedly leaving Daisy incapacitated from alcohol and barely conscious on her porch in 30-degree temperatures.
Barnett admitted to having sex with Daisy and the case was handled in juvenile court.
He insisted the sex was consensual even though she was inebriated.
Another teenager faced a charge of sexual exploitation of a minor for recording Daisy and Barnett – but cops never found the cellphone video.
What happened in Missouri in 2012?
On January 8, 2012, Daisy and a 13-year-old friend snuck out of Daisy’s house.
They were picked up by Matthew Barnett and some other boys, who took the girls to a party at Barnett’s house.
Daisy told cops she was given a clear liquid before being raped in a bedroom.
She alleged a second boy recorded the act on his cellphone but cops said that the video no longer existed.
Another 15-year-old boy allegedly raped Daisy’s 13-year-old friend.
Barnett admitted to having sex with Daisy but said it was consensual.
Was Barnett ever convicted?
Barnett wasn’t charged with statutory rape, which Missouri law generally applies in cases when a victim is under 14 years old – but felony statutes define sex as non-consensual if the victim is incapacitated by alcohol, noted the Kansas City Star.
In 2014, Barnett pleaded guilty to a charge of misdemeanor child endangerment, but not a felony sexual assault after he insisted the sex was consensual.
Nodaway County prosecutor Robert Rice dropped the felony charges against Barnett and the other teen, citing a lack of evidence.
Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters-Baker, who was brought in to reopen the case after Rice was criticized by Daisy’s family, also determined there wasn’t enough evidence.
Daisy’s mom Melinda Coleman alleged Rice dropped the felony charge because of political pressure, which Rice denied.
Barnett’s grandfather was a four-term Republican Missouri state representative and a state trooper for 32 years.
Rice said it was dropped because the Colemans stopped cooperating with his investigation – but Daisy’s family said they were willing to cooperate until the charges were dropped.
What is the 2016 documentary Audrie & Daisy?
“Audrie and Daisy” was a 2016 documentary released on Netflix, which won a Peabody Award that same year.
It focused on Daisy’s allegations in Missouri, the relentless bullying she endured in person and online, and 15-year-old Audrie Pott’s experience in California.
Pott committed suicide days after she said she was sexually assaulted by three boys in September 2012 in Sarasota.
The Netflix description of the show reads: “In two towns on different sides of America, two teenage girls pass out while intoxicated at high school parties and, while unconscious, both are sexually assaulted by boys they call friends.
“In the aftermath, the girls each endure online harassment, both attempt suicide, and tragically, one dies.
“The film explores this new public square of shame from the perspective of the teenagers and their families — including the boys involved in the assaults and the girls willing to speak out publicly.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.
