Woman Vanished Before Being Found in Pond — and Man She Feared Pleads Guilty

A Wisconsin man has pleaded guilty to first-degree reckless homicide in the death of his girlfriend, whose body was found in a pond days after she was reported missing.

The more serious charge of first-degree intentional homicide was dropped as part of a plea agreement involving 26-year-old James Barnes-Morris, according to online court records.

Brooke Strattan was reported missing by her father on Oct. 1, 2024. Two days later, her body was discovered in a retention pond, according to a criminal complaint.

A witness told police she saw Strattan and Barnes-Morris walking along a road in Madison on the morning of Sept. 29. The next day, the witness said Barnes-Morris was seen alone outside an apartment complex with scratches covering his body and appeared to be in visible distress. He was also carrying a pair of wet white sneakers, according to the complaint.

Barnes-Morris allegedly told the witness he had been in a fight with the 24-year-old Strattan and was evasive when asked about her whereabouts.

Authorities located Barnes-Morris on Oct. 2 after finding him hiding beneath a pile of clothing inside a friend’s apartment. In the backyard of the residence, police recovered a suitcase containing Strattan’s cellphone and several of her credit cards.

The friend told investigators that the couple had argued during a social gathering at his apartment days earlier. He said he saw them again on Sept. 30 walking near his home, but later that day Barnes-Morris returned alone.

According to the complaint, Barnes-Morris told the friend that he and Strattan had walked to a marshy area and said, “I left her there.”

Another witness from the gathering told police that Barnes-Morris became angry when other guests flirted with Strattan, leading to a verbal argument between the couple. The witness said he offered Strattan a place to stay that night to defuse the situation, which further upset Barnes-Morris. Strattan allegedly told the witness that her boyfriend had “threatened to kill her” later that evening.

At a separate gathering the following day, the same witness reported that Barnes-Morris made several alarming remarks, including statements such as “I had to get rid of her, she knew too much” and “I need another brick and a rope,” according to the complaint.

Investigators also recovered journals belonging to Strattan. In one entry dated Aug. 18, 2024, she wrote about Barnes-Morris allegedly beating her and nearly killing her on multiple occasions.

Detectives further uncovered text messages exchanged between the couple on Sept. 29 showing that Barnes-Morris wanted to meet that day. In those messages, Strattan expressed fear, writing that she was worried he was going to kill her.

Barnes-Morris has not yet been sentenced.