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Apr. 11, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Family schedules funeral for auto mechanic Barrier

Arrangements made for independent autopsy

ADRIENNE PACKER
REVIEW-JOURNAL

James "Buffalo Jim" Barrier
55-year-old found dead Sunday in Motel 6 on Boulder Highway

A funeral for James "Buffalo Jim" Barrier will proceed Saturday, family members said, after their private pathologist performs an independent autopsy on the auto mechanic's body late Thursday.

The service will take place at 11 a.m. at Palm Mortuary, 1325 N. Main St.

Steve Miller, a former Las Vegas city councilman and close friend of Barrier's, said two huge buffaloes with streaming glass tears will be placed in front of the mortuary.

Barrier was found dead in a Boulder Highway Motel 6 on Sunday afternoon. A Clark County medical examiner told family members that a preliminary examination of the 55-year-old's body indicated he died the evening before.


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    • Room 105, where a maid discovered Barrier's body on a neatly made bed, was rented out at 8:22 p.m. Saturday.

    Before his death, the boisterous Barrier, long engaged in a battle with Crazy Horse Too owner Rick Rizzolo, received death threats and warnings.

    Barrier assisted the federal government in a criminal investigation that resulted in Rizzolo receiving a prison sentence of one year and one day for tax evasion. Rizzolo was formally released from custody April 4.

    Las Vegas police determined Sunday that Barrier's death was from natural causes.

    Police officers handed Barrier's cell phone and wallet to his daughters, who were called to the motel Sunday to identify the body.

    Barrier's Rolls-Royce, found in the motel parking lot, is now tucked away in the garage of a family friend.

    Family and friends are adamant that Barrier was murdered. They have hired a private investigator and pathologist to probe his death.

    The Clark County coroner's office performed an autopsy on Monday, and a medical examiner told the Barriers that no drugs were found in their father's stomach and it did not appear he had a heart attack.

    Still, Barrier's daughters chose to seek a second opinion.

    The four Barrier daughters, who range in age from 15 to 26, also hired a forensic team to dust for fingerprints on Barrier's Rolls-Royce, his wallet and his cell phone. They believe their father was murdered in the Rolls-Royce or that his killers were in his vehicle at one point.

    They also believe the killers touched his wallet. Jennifer Barrier said her father carried at least a thousand dollars in cash at all times. When his wallet was found in the motel room, it contained a single $1 bill.

    The private investigator will also attempt to view security camera footage from the motel and the adjacent Boulder Station hotel-casino.

    Las Vegas police launched an investigation at the family's request.

    The FBI also is investigating Barrier's death, daughter Jennifer Barrier said.

    Contact reporter Adrienne Packer at apacker@reviewjournal.com or 702-384-8710.



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    Sandy White wrote on April 11, 2008 09:22 PM: Hey little Buff, this is Sandy your Dads friend, I will be at the funeral tomorrow so I'll see you and your sisters then, my prayers are with you. Wow who the hell are you anyway Jim Moots, what balls you have to call Steve Miller a cry baby you are definately an ass, so whatever it takes to find the Murder more power to the girls and SM, what difference does it make to you anyway, it isn't your money they are spending.


    litte buffalo wrote on April 11, 2008 08:32 PM: buffalojim was my best buddy me is a vm nice guy he does not hurt anny one
    i miss him a lot i what to kill who did this to him buffalo was the best man in the word and that not a joke if i find out who did this i will be vm mad now i talk to buffalo two time a day


    JIM_MOOTS wrote on April 11, 2008 07:04 PM: I HOPE THEY FIND OUT EITHER WHO MURDERED JIM OR IF HE DIED FROM NATURAL CAUSES.

    I GUESS HIS DAUGHTERS..STEVE(CRYBABY)MILLER AND THE OTHERS. JUST DON'T TRUST OUR METRO POLICE..THE CLARK COUNTY CORONER'S OFFICE..(Las Vegas police determined Sunday that Barrier's death was from natural causes...)...(The Clark County coroner's office performed an autopsy on Monday, and a medical examiner told the Barriers that no drugs were found in their father's stomach and it did not appear he had a heart attack.)

    SO PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS,PATHOLOGIST'S,FBI,CIA,SECRET SERVICE AND WHOM EVER ELSE THEY CHOOSE TO HIRE ON TO INVESTIGATE THIS, GIVE THEM AN ANSWER.

    SO HE CAN REST IN PEACE AND HIS FAMILY CAN EASE THEIR MINDS.. THAT HE WASN'T MURDERED OR THE MURDER CAN BE FOUND


    Will wrote on April 11, 2008 09:11 AM: I hope they caught whoever did this to this man. It is suspicious to me that he died after the other man(Rizzolo) got out of prison.

    The sad thing about this, is the this man had young daughters.


    Scotty wrote on April 11, 2008 06:59 AM:          WHERE BUFFALO ROAMSWE'RE STILL  QUITE MAD,ON THIS FINE DAYOUR FIERCE WARRIOR, HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAYAWAY FROM FAMILY, FRIENDS AND HIS HOME,TO HIS NEW PASTURE, WHERE BUFFALO ROAMSLET'S PICKUP THE PIECES OF HIS LAST FIGHT; IF THERES  ONE THING HE KNEW, IT WAS SURE:  WRONG  FROM  RIGHT.....LIVE EVERY DAY AND BE SURE THAT YOU TRYHE'D SAY WITH A SMIRK AND A WINK,FROM THOSE JET BLACK EYES, THE CODE THAT HE LIVED BY, DO REALIZE, IS:" HEY REMEMBER, NO ONE GETS OUTTA HERE , ALIVE ! "     BUFF, RIPscotty