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Sisters Reunite 50 Years After Mother’s Murder, Traced Through Facebook

A volunteer tracing group found the siblings within 48 hours in July 2025.

Overview

  • In 1973 in Newport, their father, Malcolm Barnes, killed Helen Barnes with a two‑pound hammer, told the four girls she was sleeping, and drove them to John O’Groats.
  • He confessed five days later, was given a life sentence, and ultimately served nine years in prison.
  • Theresa was later sent to live with her biological father in London, while Janet and two younger sisters were adopted together in Wales.
  • Since reconnecting, the sisters have visited one another, speak nearly every day, and have now visited their mother’s grave for the first time.
  • They say official records on the case and their childhood placements are sealed until 2073, so they are piecing together their history from memories and old newspaper clippings.