EAGLE MOUNTAIN, Utah — The parents of Odin Ratliff, the 3-year-old boy killed when a car crashed through the fence of an Eagle Mountain corral in 2022, have filed a lawsuit against the state of Utah.
In their lawsuit, Theresa and Robert Ratliff claim the state, the Utah Department of Corrections, Utah Board of Pardons and Parole and Utah Adult Probation and Parole are responsible for their son's death, as well as Wasatch Behavioral Health.
In May 2022, Radliff and Hunter Jackson were on a property near 2300 North and 16000 West when a car driven by Kent Cody Barlow, veered off the road and into the corral where the boys playing, killing them instantly.
The Ratliff's lawsuit alleges the state was aware of previous parole violations committed by Barlow, yet concealed them and allowed Barlow to remain on parole. According to the lawsuit, Barlow failed to appear for scheduled drug tests, tested positive for methamphetamines, and missed meetings with his parole officer.
"Despite Mr. Barlow’s indisputable parole violations, the State of Utah and Wasatch falsely reported that Mr. Barlow was meeting the conditions of his parole," the lawsuit claims.
The lawsuit goes on to accuse the state and Wasatch of hiring and retaining unqualified employees,
"The State of Utah unreasonably delegated supervision of Mr. Barlow a dangerous parolee, to Wasatch notwithstanding Wasatch hiring, retaining, and improperly training unqualified employees," the lawsuit states.
An investigation found Barlow was impaired at the time of the accident and driving over 100 miles per hour when he crashed into the corral. He has been charged with two counts of murder, first-degree felonies, as well as one count of possession or use of a controlled substance, a class A misdemeanor.
