Michael Montgomery Jr., 48, from Florida, received a life sentence without parole on Thursday in Marion County for the first-degree murder of Wayne Barlow, 40, during a June 2023 robbery. The scheme involved Montgomery and accomplice Jessica Lynn Long, 39, using sexual deception to lure Barlow to a remote spot. Montgomery was also convicted of fleeing police, driving on a suspended license, and resisting arrest.
Key Incident Details
- Luring and Attack: Long enticed Barlow via texts promising sex in his gray Hyundai. Montgomery and another man ambushed him, beat him, tied him with a bike lock, and forced him into the back seat.
- Murder: Barlow fought back fiercely. Long handed Montgomery her gun, and he shot Barlow in the head at close range, dumping the body roadside—initially mistaken for a dead hog by a passerby.
- Evidence: Victim had a head gunshot wound, black eye, bruises, defensive injuries, and pants pulled down. Texts confirmed the sexual pretext: Barlow wrote, “So can we drop them for like 20 and f– in the back seat and smoke,” with Long replying, “Hell yeah that’s the plan duh.”
Arrest and Confession
Two days later, deputies spotted the stolen Hyundai on U.S. Highway 441. Montgomery fled into woods, abandoning the car; he hid in water while Long climbed a tree. Long confessed first, implicating Montgomery, who admitted the robbery “got out of hand” but claimed self-defense despite no injuries on himself.
Outcome
Montgomery faces life in prison from the 5th Judicial Circuit. Long, for testifying, gets 30 years under a plea deal. The case highlights predatory “sexual subterfuge” tactics, with authorities emphasizing swift justice via solid evidence like confessions and digital records.
This story echoes similar robbery-murder schemes in the Southeast—do you want details on comparable cases in South Carolina or Florida?
