New Audio: Lamar County DA's Office's Tell Donivan Barnes Family It's Not Their Job to Represent Victims

HATTIESBURG, Miss (THN News) - Donivan Barnes family has released a lot of evidence including audio recordings that are damning to both the State of Mississippi, Lamar County District Attorney's Office and Lamar County Sheriff's Office in an effort to prove Donivan's case has been corrupted from the very beginning of the investigation.

The family is alleging that there is a coverup and conspiracy with Donivan's case. To prove it, there're releasing a lot of evidence including multiple recordings with multiple people.

According to one legal expert who has reviewed a number of the recordings who spoke on the condition of anonymity, "It's very very damning, it's very alarming and it's very very bad! This will NOT end well!"

In early reports, we reported that Lamar County DA's Office told Donivan's family, "It's not their job to represent the victim's family!" Lamar County District Attorney's office denied that claim. They said that never happened.

New Audio Recording Released From Family However, in newly released audio from Donivan's family, you can clearly hear Assistant District Attorney Lauren Harless tell the family it's not their job to represent the victim's family.

"It's not your job to represent the victim's family?" DA responds: "NO!"

This is only one excerpt from the call. We will release more audio tomorrow.

In a heated exchange after the grand jury decided not to indict Andrew David Cook, Donivan family complains about never hearing from the DA's office until after the fact, after the grand jury decision not to charge suspect Andrew David Cook.

That's when Hartling responds it's not their job to represent the victim's family.

The frustration comes as Lamar County DA's office met the the suspect and his family multiple times prior to the secret grand jury hearing, including letting him appear and testify but not giving the same opportunity to the victim's family.

The family alleges the DA's office convinced the grand jury not to indict Andrew Cook.

They claim the DA threw the case to prevent Andrew David Cook, a then 23 year old white male, along with his mom, Dr. Kimberly Walker Yawn, a teacher at Oak Grove Elementary School, from being charged with killing Donivan Barnes, a 26 year old African American young man, despite mounting evidence and confessions.

Andrew David Cook was involved in another hit and run accident in the Oak Grove Community a few weeks ago. Again, he was not arrested and did not go to jail according to our reports.