- Three mothers say earlier intervention could have prevented the crash that claimed the lives of two 3-year-old boys.
- Kent Barlow caused the crash while on parole for leading police on a chase, the judge said. He was sentenced to prison for murder.
- The mothers discussed his previous criminal history and lack of accountability from the parole board.
PROVO — Three mothers said the system in Utah, specifically the courts and parole system, failed them, suggesting further intervention could have prevented the crash that led to the deaths of two 3-year-old boys playing at Cedar Valley Stables in Eagle Mountain.
They spoke after the sentencing for Kent Cody Barlow, the driver who caused the crash while he was on parole and was later found guilty of murder. His mother, along with the mothers of the two boys, Hunter Jackson and Odin Ratliff, said the state had opportunities to do more to help him earlier.
Brooke Jackson cited his 37 previous criminal cases and how they gradually got worse, beginning with speeding and escalating to driving on a suspended license, drugs, theft and leading officers on a high-speed chase. She said he hasn't learned anything.
"It wasn't just our family; it wasn't just the Ratliff family. It was the whole community; it was Cedar Valley Stables; they were all different people or structures that felt what happened," she said, talking about how emotional she and others were during the hearing.
At the sentencing, deputy Utah County prosecutor Michael Starrs listed many of Barlow's cases and said his behavior has continued while incarcerated. He said Barlow tested positive for meth in a 2023 drug test and in December was kicked out of a substance abuse program due to a fight.
"He saw the consequences for his actions for abusing drugs. He still chose to do that," he said.
The judge overseeing his sentence mentioned the previous case where Barlow stole a motorcycle, led police on a chase through a business and a residential area, and later fled in a police car. He said when he was sentenced in that case, the judge talked to him about how dangerous his actions were. He was on parole in that case when he caused the crash in Eagle Mountain.
"Mr. Barlow, that should have placed you in a state of hypervigilance and care," 4th District Judge Derek Pullan said.
'Our justice system is failing us'
Wendy Barlow, Kent Barlow's mother, said she was "very, very, very upset" that it came to this after years of her trying to get him help. She said she stopped officers on the road and asked them to put him in their cars and scare him.
"Since he was young, I have tried. I've tried to get help for him. I've asked, I've pushed. ... I think if the system would have stood up then, when he was younger, we wouldn't be in this position right now," she said.
She talked about getting the call that he was in the hospital after the crash on May 2, 2022, and going over there not knowing if he was alive or not. She said she feels horrible about the two boys who died.
"It was very hard to see that, and, as a mom, it tears me apart. But at the same time, I don't have my son — and part of it, I think, is because of our justice system. If we don't figure this out, it's going to continue. Things aren't getting better; things are getting worse. Our justice system is failing us," Wendy Barlow said.
She said her son has expressed that he is sorry, referring to multiple phone calls and letters, but said he has been unable to get counseling to process what happened.
"He's had his issues, but deep down, he's a wonderful kid aside from his addiction," Wendy Barlow said.
She expressed her belief that addiction is a choice and that her son made the wrong choice multiple times, but she still believes he can change.
"Keep the families in your prayers, and hope that by some miracle ... that we can change this justice system, that we can make it so people can be rehabilitated," she said.
'Everything was preventable'
Brooke Jackson said the parole officers involved with Kent Barlow and people with Adult Probation and Parole have been either forced into retirement or fired.
"Everything was preventable, and they chose to hide. They chose to deny everything they had a part in," she said.
She also said other Utah systems failed her, noting that her son became an organ donor without their consent because the two boys' bodies were misidentified.
Theresa Ratliff, Odin's mother, said she doesn't trust anything now and second-guesses every decision and has been left with "immense trust issues" because of the lack of accountability from government organizations.
"If it was me in that role, and I knew that I had made a mistake, I would fight like (expletive) to make sure that I corrected that mistake and was held accountable for my actions," she said.
The Ratliff family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Utah, the parole board, the Utah Department of Corrections and Wasatch Behavioral Health, which provided court-ordered treatment for Barlow. It was dismissed, and the family has appealed the decision to the Utah Supreme Court.
Theresa Ratliff did thank officers and prosecutors who helped secure a guilty verdict and helped the family through the case, saying they have become family.
"The amount of work that they have put in to create a safe space for us as we're fighting for justice for our sons has been immeasurable," Theresa Ratliff said.
On June 30, Pullan ordered Barlow to serve two consecutive terms of 15 years to life in prison for the two counts of murder, one for each boy.
