BAYOU LA BATRE, Ala. — The wife of Bayou La Batre’s mayor was stabbed inside her office at Bayou La Batre City Hall on Tuesday morning, according to Mayor Henry Barnes.
Attack Inside City Hall
Marcia Barnes, who serves as the city’s magistrate, was working in her office around 11 a.m. on May 18, 2021, when she was attacked and stabbed in the leg. The mayor said two other city employees were also attacked during the incident, but Marcia Barnes was the only person injured. Her wound required four stitches.
Suspect Charged
The Mobile County District Attorney’s Office identified the suspect as 47-year-old Pho Xay Keomanizang. According to the District Attorney’s office, Keomanizang has been charged with attempted murder as well as third-degree escape.
The investigation remained active in the days following the attack. Bayou La Batre City Hall serves as the administrative center for the small seafood-producing community of roughly 2,000 residents on Mobile County’s coastline.