Stephen Barnes and his niece passed away in an accident Friday, Oct. 2, when a small airplane Stephen Barnes was piloting crashed in Genesee County. The death was confirmed by longtime law partner Ross M. Cellino Jr. and his ex-wife, Ruth Barnes.
“It is with great sadness that I learned of the tragic passing of Steve Barnes in a plane crash,” Cellino said in a statement.
“All of us at Cellino and Barnes are deeply saddened. My thoughts and prayers are with the entire Barnes family during this difficult time.”
Barnes was at the controls of the single-engine propellor-powered aircraft when it went down in a wooded area at 11:45 a.m., two sources told the Buffalo News.