Flint, Michigan – Desperation and tragedy unfolded at the Flint Motel on North Dort Highway, where a lover’s quarrel turned deadly on February 28th. In a grim turn of events, only one person walked out of Room 18 alive that day – a 48-year-old mother of seven named Christina Elizabeth Barber. Her partner, 34-year-old Christopher Astin Motry, would later be charged in connection with her death.
Police investigations revealed a chilling sequence of events, starting with the couple entering Room 18 early in the morning. Surveillance footage captured Motry leaving and re-entering the room multiple times, later seen disposing of items in the motel dumpster. The discovery of bloodstained items led authorities to a horrifying conclusion – Barber’s body was forcibly hidden in the bed of Motry’s pickup truck.
Days later, a fisherman made a grisly discovery near the Flint River – two black plastic bags containing the remains of a woman, later identified as Barber. Autopsy findings indicated a violent struggle, with the victim bound and strangled to death. Motry’s subsequent actions, including suspicious behavior at the motel and incriminating evidence found at his residence, painted a disturbing picture of a crime of passion gone awry.
Friends and family mourned the loss of Barber, remembering her as a hardworking and devoted mother. As legal proceedings against Motry unfolded, details emerged of a tumultuous relationship headed for a tragic end. Motry’s alleged threats and the chilling aftermath of Barber’s disappearance painted a portrait of domestic turmoil turned deadly.
As prosecutors prepared their case against Motry, the somber reality of intimate partner violence and its devastating consequences came to light. The haunting question of why and how such a heinous act could occur loomed large, leaving a community in shock and mourning. Amidst the darkness of this tragedy, a call for justice and closure echoed through the halls of Genesee County, seeking retribution for a life cut short by senseless violence.