Anne Barker

Anne Barker
Full name	Anne Barker
Physical information
Status	Alive
Professional information
Occupation	Nanny
Appearances
No. of episodes	1
First appearance	"Poison Pen"
Last appearance	"Poison Pen"
Portrayed by	Laura Benanti

The ones who thought I was guilty were afraid of me. And the ones who knew I was innocent couldn't be around me without being in every paper in the country. The media ruined my life, and now it's about to happen all over again, thanks to you.

— Anne/Abigail, "Poison Pen"

Anne Barker was Titus and Peri Delancey's nanny. In this capacity, she cared for their sons, Grahame and Zack. She changed her name from Abigail Spencer after being accused and acquitted of poisoning her rich father with nitroglycerin in 1991, when she was 15 and living in Michigan. During her trial, Sherlock Holmes corresponded with her as "Sean Holmes", helping to develop his deductive abilities.

Biography

Season 2

After Titus Delancey is found murdered by a nitroglycerin overdose, Holmes and Watson meet Anne at the Delancey's home. Holmes takes Watson outside and says that he knows her. She was the prime suspect in the poisoning death of her father, but was acquitted and her name is Abigail Spencer. In "the box" at the 11th Precinct, Captain Gregson questions Anne who admits she was Abigail Spencer. She has no alibi but denies killing Titus. She changed her name and appearance to escape the media attention from her father's death, is angry that it will happen again and asks how they discovered her identity. Holmes says it was from her voice. Anne is released and Holmes believes that she is being framed. Watson deduces that Holmes didn't recognize Anne from her voice, but from a tattoo on her wrist. Impressed, Holmes relates that the poisoning of Anne's father catalyzed his interest in detective work.

She was an excellent research subject.

Holmes was able to deduce that she did kill her father, an abusive man, but only after the trial was over and she was acquitted. Despite this, he still believes that the framer must have discovered her past. Holmes visits Anne and reveals he is Sean Holmes. Beseiged by the media and fired as a nanny, she's still grateful to have Holmes to talk to. Later, Holmes shows her a video of her and Titus arguing. Professing she didn't kill him, Holmes provides details from their correspondence that proves she did kill her father. Angry, Anne tells him to leave. After it's discovered Titus was abusing his son Grahame and circumstantial evidence is found that Grahame poisoned him, Anne falsely confesses to poisoning Titus. Holmes appeals to Anne but she says she's a murderer and blames herself for not noticing Graham's abuse. She views her confession as justice for what she did to her father.

I've always been honest with you.