Community mourns murdered wife of former NFL player

Neighbors dropped by Friday with flowers and stuffed animals in honor of the woman police said was killed at the hands of her husband's mistress. Clayton County Police said Lisa Brown of Lithonia showed up at Buster and Sandra Barnett's home in Ellenwood Wednesday.  According to NFL.com, Buster Barnett was with the Buffalo Bills from 1981 to 1984.  

"I knew by the sound of her voice that something was wrong," said Ruby Chester, who was on the phone with Mrs. Barnett at the time Brown arrived.  "She had said, 'Open this door or you will die.  Open this door.'"  

After the phone call, Chester called a co-worker to check on Barnett.  When he arrived at the home, according to a police report, he spotted a suspicious woman in the garage.  He called 911, but by the time police arrived, Brown and Barnett were gone. Police put out a bulletin for the Barnett's black Dodge Durango.

Authorities in Carroll County spotted the car Thursday, but when they tried to pull over the SUV, Brown sped away, leading them on a high-speed chase.
The chase ended just over the Alabama state line when Brown stopped the Durango on I-20 and shot Barnett before taking her own life.  

"I'm just very shocked.  I'm very heartbroken," said Iris Harden, a neighbor who dropped off a bouquet of flowers on the Barnett's front steps Friday.  "It's a tragedy, and it happened in our neighborhood.  It's just terrible."

Barnett was a long-time special education teacher at McNair Middle School in DeKalb County.  That was where she and Chester became friends.  

"It hurt me so bad because we were like sisters," explained Chester.

A memorial will be held 4 p.m. Sunday at McNair High School in DeKalb County. The public is invited to attend.