PROVO, Utah — Nearly three years after two toddlers were killed while playing in an Eagle Mountain corral, a jury found Kent Cody Barlow guilty for their murder.
The verdict was read about 10 hours after the jury began deliberations Friday.
Along with the guilty verdicts for the depraved indifference murder of 3-year-olds Odin Ratliff and Hunter Jackson, Barlow was also found guilty of possession of methamphetamine.
Each of the murder charges carries a prison sentence of 15 years to life. Sentencing is set for June 30.
Judge Derek Pullan started the day by giving the jury its instructions before the prosecution began its closing statement in the trial.
Barlow's defense team never denied that their client was driving under the influence when he crashed into the Cedar Valley Stables in May 2022, killing 3-year-old boys Odin Ratliff and Hunter Jackson. The defense has argued that the crash was an "unintentional accident" and not murder.
The Provo courtroom was full Friday, the first time it had been that way throughout the trial, which has lasted just over a week.
'Panic and chaos;' Toddler's mother details moment of son's death in Barlow trial:
Attorney Michael Starrs began his closing arguments by saying the boys were innocent victims of a man who was high on methamphetamine while driving towards the corral at a high rate of speed.
"They were there, chasing cats, grabbing chicken eggs, getting fruit snacks from their moms and playing with their tractors in the place that should have been safe for them," said Starrs.
Starrs ended his statement just after 10 a.m., followed by Barlow's attorney Justin Morrison, who began his closing argument by saying, "My client was high and having too good a time, but he is not a cold-blooded killer."
On the second day of the trial, Michael Higbee, a passenger in Barlow's car, testified that he was "afraid of dying" with his friend's reckless driving, as were others in the vehicle who claimed to have told Barlow to stop.
Morrison ended by saying that his client should be held accountable, but that emotions should not determine the outcome or the jury's verdict.
"That's what the law is for," he said.
On the first day of the trial, Odin's mother, Theresa Ratliff, took the stand and shared how her son would go to the stables where the corral was located 4-5 times a week and formed a quick friendship with Hunter.
"We are very happy with our prosecution team and the effort and the work that they had put in, the countless family and friends that we've been able to lean on, and just the jury doing their due diligence - they took all day and really thought about this," she said. "And they came to that decision."
"I am happy for this chapter of closure to start because now I can do more to celebrate him rather than feeling like I have to hold it in and waiting."
Ratliff said on the day of the accident, she heard something that sounded like "thunder, like metal on metal for a solid 4 or 5 seconds." Not knowing what the sound was, Theresa handed her horse to someone else so she could look for Odin.
After seeing her son on the ground, Ratliff saw Odin had "no life in him" but performed CPR for a minute anyway. Once realizing her son had died, Ratliff said she remembers screaming before sitting with Odin and holding him.
