310 - Inappropriate Jokes

A 19-year-old man named Brian Cohey Jr., diagnosed with ADHD and high-functioning autism, meticulously planned and executed the murder of Warren Bruce Barnes, a homeless man known as 'The Reading Man' in Grand Junction, Colorado. After years of disturbing behaviors—including making inappropriate jokes, collecting serial killer statistics, and killing a cat—Brian built a kill kit, scoured the internet for murder logistics, and wore a Michael Myers costume while driving at night to find a victim. On February 28, 2021, he stabbed Barnes to death near a railroad underpass, dismembered him, and brought the head and hands home, storing them in a plastic bag in his closet. When his mother discovered the remains, she called police, leading to Brian’s calm, detailed confession. Despite claiming mental illness, he was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole—his chilling lack of remorse and premeditation proving he fully understood right from wrong. The episode exposes how a child with profound behavioral red flags, including a fascination with violence and a history of dangerous planning, can slip through the cracks despite parental awareness and therapy. The story raises urgent questions about how society handles neurodivergent youth with callous, unemotional traits, especially when their behaviors are dismissed as 'just a phase' or 'part of being different.