Testimony reveals horrific details in Douglas County murder as bond is denied
Douglas County court hears gruesome facts
Four suspects pleaded not guilty in Douglas County court following the gruesome murder of bartender Jamal Parker, whose body was dumped in Dog River Reservoir.
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. - New court details emerged during a bond hearing for two suspects accused of participating in the horrific murder and dismemberment of a man in Douglas County.
Douglas County bond denial
What we know:
Judge Cynthia Adams denied bond for David Barber and Ambria Boyd during their court appearances. Barber entered a not guilty plea and requested a $25,000 bond, while Boyd pleaded not guilty. Boyd is the girlfriend of victim Jamal Parker. Prosecutors convinced the judge to deny bond for both defendants based on their prior records and allegations that both acted as parties to the crime.
Investigators believe Barber's cousin, Mario Barber, served as the gunman following an argument with Parker at a house in May. Parker was shot twice and stabbed five times before his body was dumped in the Dog River Reservoir.
Douglas County Assistant District Attorney Nelly Ndounteng testified that GBI evidence indicates Parker was decapitated while he was still alive.
Unidentified suspect search
What we don't know:
Authorities have not publicly identified the final suspect connected to the case, and officers continue searching for the individual.
Court officials have not scheduled a formal trial date for the defendants.
Murder victim Jamal Parker, whose body was discovered at the Dog River Reservoir in Douglas County following a brutal attack in May 2026, is pictured in an undated family photo provided on October 5, 2026.
Gruesome murder details
The backstory:
Much of the details revealed during the bond hearing came from co-defendant Brittany Baker, who waived her scheduled arraignment alongside Mario Barber.
Ndounteng revealed in court that Baker told investigators she believed Parker's hands were cut off after he died. Baker stated that Parker's head and hands were placed into two buckets—a Home Depot bucket and a white concrete bucket—before being filled with concrete.
Baker advised that the buckets were taken to a Marietta Airbnb that David Barber rented for the group. The following day, the buckets were gone, and Mario Barber allegedly told Baker that Parker was "swimming with the fishes." Phone location pings placed Baker and Mario Barber at her South Douglas County home in the upscale Windermere subdivision on May 12. The prosecution says the two spent most of the day cleaning up after the murder and recruiting co-defendants to help cover up the scene.
Distraught family reacts
What they're saying:
Parker's father and uncle attended the hearing and heard the detailed claims regarding his death for the first time.
"It’s overwhelming. It’s heart wrenching," said Parker's uncle, Darryl McCoy. "They should get the full extent of the law, should not be free for their behavior."
Jamal Parker, whose body was dumped at the Dog River Reservoir in Douglas County following a horrific murder and dismemberment, is shown smiling in a photo provided by his family on October 5, 2026 (Family Handout).
Parker's father, Charles Parker, voiced relief over the bond denial but expressed frustration over the legal timeline.
"The way it happened, the motive, what made them do it?" Charles Parker asked. "When the court date? I need to have this over with."
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from testimony presented during Douglas County court bond hearings by Assistant District Attorney Nelly Ndounteng, official GBI findings, and direct courtroom interviews with family members Charles Parker and Darryl McCoy.