Chrisilee Barton Obituary, Survivor Who Helped Catch Serial Killer Reinaldo Rivera Dies at 43
Chrisilee Barton, the courageous woman whose survival and testimony led to the capture of serial killer Reinaldo Rivera in 2000, has passed away at the age of 43. Her family confirmed that she died Friday after a battle with uterine cancer, with funeral arrangements being handled by Hatcher Funeral Home & Cremation Service.
Barton was only 18 years old when she survived a brutal assault that changed both her life and the course of a serial murder investigation spanning Georgia and South Carolina.
The Attack That Stopped a Serial Killer
On October 10, 2000, Barton was lured by Reinaldo Rivera, who approached her under the guise of a modeling opportunity. When Rivera attacked, she sustained life-threatening injuries but managed to escape and alert authorities.
Her quick thinking and bravery provided investigators with the vital information that led to Rivera’s arrest. Barton later identified him as her attacker, giving law enforcement the breakthrough they needed to end a string of murders that had haunted the Augusta–Aiken region.
Local media later dubbed her “the woman who stopped a serial killer.” In an interview at the time, Barton humbly dismissed that title, saying she only hoped that “other victims could be at rest.”
Challenges and Resilience in Later Life
In the years following the attack, Barton’s life was marked by both resilience and hardship. Public records indicate that she faced several misdemeanor and probation-related charges in Aiken County, South Carolina, including a 2011 narcotics arrest. Despite these struggles, officials emphasized that she was treated like any other defendant and given due process under the law.
Through it all, Barton remained an essential part of the Rivera case. During Reinaldo Rivera’s 2004 trial, she bravely testified in court, describing the night of the attack and helping secure his conviction and death sentence.
Today, Rivera remains on death row, a grim irony noted by Barton’s family — that the killer she stopped has outlived the woman whose courage exposed him.
Remembering Chrisilee Barton
Family members and friends remember Barton as a survivor whose courage saved others from harm. A cousin described her as a “serial killer catcher who had to live through trauma,” adding that her bravery should be recognized locally.
“I just feel like she should be honored for her bravery all those years ago that have affected her life tremendously,” her cousin said.
Barton spent her later years living between Aiken, South Carolina, and Grovetown, Georgia, and was a devoted mother of several children.
Her story remains a powerful example of how one act of bravery can stop a cycle of violence and bring peace to countless others.
Legacy of Courage
Though her life was marked by pain, survival, and struggle, Chrisilee Barton’s courage stands as a lasting legacy. Her decision to fight back and speak out in 2000 not only brought a serial killer to justice but also gave closure to the families of his victims.
Her death is being mourned across the Augusta–Aiken community, where many remember her not for her hardships, but for the extraordinary strength she showed in the face of unimaginable danger.
