April 11, 1995 – Springboro Police Lt. Jim Barton found his wife, Vickie, dead in their home in Franklin Twp. Barton's 911 recorded call would be used as evidence against him in a trial 10 years later.
April 9, 2004 - A newly formed cold-case team arrested Barton for allegedly contracting a burglary-for-hire team to scare his wife to move to Springboro so he could be promoted. He posted bail three days later.
February 2005 - A two-week trial took place where Barton was found guilty of complicity to involuntary manslaughter and aggravated burglary.
This ruling was based partly on the 911 call Barton had place 10 years prior which linked Barton to a Williams Phelps.
Gary Henson, a relative to Phelps, testified that Barton had paid Phelps $3,000 to stage the burglary. However, the charges of rape and murder were pinned on an unidentified accomplice. Phelps had committed suicide not long after the incident 10 years prior.
March 18, 2005 - Barton was sentenced 15 to 50 years in prison at the Southeastern Correctional Institution in Lancaster.
May 15, 2015 - After a decade of appeals from a series of lawyers on Barton's behalf, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered Barton to be retried within six months or released. The Court of Appeals found prosecutorial misconduct and questions about Henson's testimony.
September 2015 - The Ohio Attorney General's Office appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court to try to keep Barton in prison.
March 2016 - The Ohio Attorney General's appeal to keep Barton in jail was denied by the high court. This means the earlier ruling of the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals of whether he should be retried or released within six months still stands.
April 11, 2016 - The Warren County Common Pleas Court held a hearing to decide if Barton's case would be retried.
April 14, 2016 - The Warren County judge, Michael Gilb, set the bond for Barton's release at $350,000. (I took the line out that was here previously)
April 15, 2016 - Jim Barton and his wife have posted a surety bond by leveraging their home. He was released today at 1:20 p.m.
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