Talen Barton was a 17 year old from California who would stab to death a friend and a friends father. According to court documents Talen Barton would stab to death Teo Palmieri, 17, and his father Coleman Palmieri, 52. Talen Barton would also stab two girls who lived in the house. Talen who was taken in by the family two years before the double murder would smile in court after the judge sentenced the teen killer to 71 years in prison
Talen Barton 2023 Information
| Inmate Name | BARTON, TALEN CLARK |
| CDCR Number | AX9898 |
| Age | 25 |
| Admission Date | 10/08/2015 |
| Current Location | Valley State Prison |
| Location Link | Directions |
| Parole Eligible Date (Month/Year) | 07/2039 |
Talen Barton More News
Talen Barton made what should be his last appearance Tuesday in Mendocino County Superior Court for the brutal murders of a Laytonville family.
Details into his state-of-mind before-and-after the killings have been released as part of the Probation Department’s report and final sentencing recommendations that paint a picture of the hatred he had for two of the victims, and the troubled life Barton lived since childhood.
Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office lead detective Clint Wyant stated in his report to the Probation Department that his investigation and interviews with Barton led him to believe the teen was “pure evil,” and said it was the most brutal thing he had ever seen in his 17-year career in law enforcement.
“This murder was very calculated, and I hope to never see him out of prison,” Wyant was quoted as saying in the probation report. “He is an absolute monster.”
Prior to sentencing, the Probation Department is tasked with compiling a report of recommendations to the judge outlining the crime, providing interviews and investigation details.
Talen Barton, 19, pleaded guilty last month to two counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder and two counts of false imprisonment while using a knife in the commission of all the crimes.
He agreed to a minimum 71-year mandatory sentence that includes $10,000 in restitution for the surviving victims. He was officially sentenced Tuesday by Superior Court Judge Ann Moorman.
Following the murders on July 19, Talen Barton was interviewed the next day by Dr. Donald Apostle of Santa Rosa at the Mendocino County Jail for a psychiatric evaluation that revealed he had only planned to kill Teo and Coleman Palmieri and then commit suicide.
Dr. Cindy Norvell, wife of Coleman Palmieri and mother to Teo Palmieri, was injured in the stabbings, but Barton said he didn’t intend to kill her and described her as a “saint,” saying she interrupted him during the crimes which derailed his planned suicide
Cindy Norvell’s brother Theodore Norvell was visiting from Canada, he was also nearly killed during the attacks. Two teenage girls of the family were uninjured as Barton said he “killed everyone he wanted to kill.”
Talen Barton was taken in by the Norvell-Palmieri family at age 17 after being arrested in January 2013 for threatening his previous foster mother, Denise Shields. As a juvenile, Barton served 5 months of formal probation for misdemeanor vandalism. The incident was the only crime on record Barton had committed prior to the murders.
Talen Barton also described his anger at Shields to investigators, “I would have killed her if she had been there (at the Palmieri house). If anyone deserved it she did. She also knew I had anger issues.”
Barton’s juvenile probation officer at that time noted concerns about “Talen’s emotional balance and his risk of becoming a danger to others.” She warned the Norvell-Palmieri family that it wasn’t a good idea to take Barton in.
Cindy Norvell told detectives Barton told them at the time, “You guys are really gonna regret ever bringing me into your home.”
Although that was the case, Talen Barton told Apostle during his psychological assessment that he loved the Norvell-Palmieri family, and that it was the closest thing he ever had to a family. Barton said he couldn’t feel the family’s unconditional love, and that his life had been meaningless since the age of 8. He reported being suicidal since around the age of 14.
Talen Barton said he intended to kill Teo Palmieri, 17, because Teo was never happy and Teo and his father, Coleman Palmieri, would be better off with reincarnation, which Barton believed in despite being Agnostic, and that one would have a chance at reimproving themselves after death. He described Coleman Palmieri, 52, as just a “useless electrician.”
Barton told investigators that he was angry with Teo, characterizing the victim as someone who “had an uncontrollable temper, and wasn’t going anywhere.”
Teo Palmieri was murdered first, in his bedroom just after midnight on July 19, which law enforcement characterized as a violent struggle as Barton put his hand over the 17-year-old’s mouth and attempted to slit his throat before he woke up.
The county’s forensic pathologist determined Teo Palmieri died from having his throat slit along with five stab wounds to his neck and body. Coleman Palmieri was stabbed nine times by Barton with injuries to his neck and body that included being stabbed through the heart.
Talen Barton also told Apostle that he had not intended to stab Cindy Norvell, but did so after she ran into Teo Palmieri’s room in response to his screams. Barton left her and stabbed Coleman Palmieri to death then spotted Theodore Norvell and stabbed him.
He cut the telephone lines and spoke with the girls, at one point offering them cookies.
Apostle told investigators Barton asked Cindy Norvell how it felt to die, as they waited for police to arrive.
Talen Barton told Apostle he had intended to kill himself but felt it wasn’t right to do so after he stabbed Cindy Norvell.
Apostle reaffirmed Barton as a heavy drug user, and at the time of his interview with Barton, said Barton was clinically depressed but that he believed him to not be psychotic at the time of the murders.
Apostle also said Barton was aware of the nature of the crimes and that he knew it was wrong to commit them. Barton denied taking any medication leading up to the crimes, and stated he had never been diagnosed with any mental illness.
Barton indicated he started smoking marijuana at age 13, at least once a week for recreational purposes. By age 15, he stated, he smoked 5 to 10 grams of marijuana every day, and by 18, estimated he was smoking one-quarter ounce per day.
Barton said he no longer got high after smoking marijuana, but enjoyed the taste of it. Additionally, Barton relayed he liked to smoke hash, honey oil and “kief,” or what he described as crystals from the leaf of a marijuana plant, or pure THC.
Barton said he didn’t grow the marijuana himself, but got it from others. He also stated he had used LSD 10 times in the past, and psychedelic mushrooms approximately 15 times in the past.
Apostle’s report stated Barton frequently burned himself on the forearm with the “marijuana cigarettes,” and had been into fantasy card playing, including “Dungeons and Dragons,” and identified with the character “Ger,” who is an assassin who kills and rapes with a sword.
Apostle offered a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder to investigators, saying Barton self- medicated with marijuana, despite never being able to solve his problems or longing.
Barton had lived in Mendocino County for five years prior to the murders, and was a 2014 graduate of Laytonville High School. He apparently lived in Eureka briefly between 2014 and 2015 and worked at Ramone’s Bakery and Cafe.
He stated he had lived in California for 10 years, and had also lived in Nevada, Alaska and Washington. He was born in Phoenix, to a woman who allegedly had a history of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin abuse, even when pregnant.
Barton told investigators his parents were never married, and he was raised by his mother and stepfather until he was 8 years old, at which time he went into foster care as a result of his mother and stepfather’s drug abuse.
He said he was beaten by his stepfather, who would threaten him and his older brother with weapons while under the influence of methamphetamine. Barton also stated he was sexually abused once by a friend of his stepfather.
Talen Barton described his mother to investigators as someone who was chronically depressed, especially when on drugs. He said that he had been in contact with his birth mother on Facebook and said they were friends, despite not having seen her for six years. Barton said he hadn’t talked to his father since he was 15, and had a younger stepbrother and older brother
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Talen Barton is currently incarcerated at the Valley State Prison in California
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Talen Barton is serving a life without parole sentence