She Brutally Beat Her Mom & Grandmother to Death

In 2018, Heather Barbera was a mother of two residing in Ventnor, New Jersey, when she bludgeoned her mom and grandmother to death with a nightstick.

Heather’s Life Spiraled Out of Control

In April 2018, Heather’s brother died from a drug overdose. She suffered from addiction herself and her brother's death affected her especially hard. Heather had lost custody of her kids due to drug addiction and had now lost her brother. She felt the weight of life on her shoulders.

Her mental health declining, Heather moved out of the home she shared with her husband in Mississippi and moved in with her mom and grandmother, who welcomed her into the home with open arms.

The Arguments Continue; Lead to Murder

Heather and her mother, 67-year-old Michelle Gordon, never got along. There was always friction between the two, as Heather felt her mom nitpicked and complained about everything she did. Issues from Heather’s childhood could have contributed to her feelings and resentment toward her mother.

The reunion between Heather and Michelle went sour almost immediately; the arguments began soon after she returned to the home where her mother lived with her 87-year-old grandmother, Elaine Rosen.

Ms. Rosen moved in with her daughter a few years before she was murdered after Hurricane Sandy destroyed her Brooklyn home.

On July 8, 2018, Michelle’s brother Richard found his sister and mother deceased inside the home. Richard visited the home at about 10:25 a.m. after he could not reach Michelle nor Elaine. He never expected to see the gruesome scene he was met with at the home.

An autopsy determined the woman died from multiple blunt-force trauma injuries to the head. Both women had been beaten to death.

Police Catch Heather in NYC

After learning credit cards were missing from the home, investigators put a trace on them. They learned Heather was using credit cards in New York City. Police apprehended her at the Port Authority Bus Terminal on July 11, 2018.

Heather told police she and Michelle go into an argument that turned physical. She said she hit her with a flashlight before she picked up the nightstick and bashed her mother in the face and head. Elaine tried to stop the attack, resulting in Heather beating her to death with the nightstick. Heather told police she then fled the home with jewelry, cash, and the stolen credit cards.

Richard “Warned” Family

Richard told People magazine that he did not think Heather moving into the home was a good idea and warned Michelle and Elaine before she arrived. Despite issues in the past, no one ever expected things would turn so violent.

“I didn’t want her in the apartment, there have been other issues in the past” — but that he “never expected this.”

A week before the murder, neighbors reportedly heard a loud argument between two women in the home. Neighbors reportedly told police they heard Heather screaming and cursing loudly at her mother in front of them.

Heather Sentenced to 42 Years in Prison

Heather pleaded guilty to first-degree murder of Elaine and first-degree aggravated manslaughter of Michelle in October 2019.

Heather expressed remorse during her sentencing hearing, laying blame on her substance abuse and mental health issues, as well as the “toxic and very unhealthy family dynamic” she endured. She was sentenced to a total of 42 years behind bars on both charges. She currently serves her time at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Clinton, New Jersey. She is eligible for parole in 2058.