Questions left unanswered from top Utah officials following deaths of two 3-year-old boys

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A 2News investigation uncovered supervision failures by Adult Probation and Parole before the deadly wreck that claimed the lives of two three-year-old boys last May at a horse stable in Eagle Mountain.

Hunter Jackson and Odin Ratliff were killed on May 2, 2022, after prosecutors said a car driven by Kent Cody Barlow, who was on parole at the time crashed through several fences at the Cedar Valley Stables.

Utah County sheriff’s officials say witnesses in the car with him estimated he was going 80 to 100 miles per hour when he hit a bump and lost control of his SUV. Police obtained a warrant for Barlow's blood and urine. In an amended information filing, Deputy Utah County Attorney Ryan McBride wrote the toxicology report showed the presence of methamphetamine. The probable cause affidavit written by Utah County Sheriff's Deputy Jake Hall says, "Kent admitted to having recently used methamphetamine as recent as Sunday morning May 1, 2022 to Detective Sherwood and also to myself."

Barlow is charged with two counts of manslaughter and possession or use of a controlled substance. The Utah County Attorney’s Office dismissed several charges including DUI last year.

FAILED SUPERVISION OF DANGEROUS PROBATIONERS AND PAROLEES

For more than two years now, 2News Investigates has been reporting onfailed supervision of dangerous probationers and parolees.

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CHANGES PROMISED

We have aired more than 20 reports about this even interviewing the director of Adult Probation and Parole, the executive director of the Utah Department of Corrections and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox who just came into office at that time.

Changes were promised by both the Department of Corrections and the governor. But when we tried to get answers about Barlow’s supervision no one would talk to us.

2News Investigates obtained parole records on Barlow from UDC, the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole and a recording from a parole hearing. Those records show Barlow has a documented history with methamphetamine and heroin.

In fact, Barlow's parole agreement prior to the deadly crash had the regular and standard parole conditions but he was also ordered to comply with “Special Conditions of Parole” which listed among other things, that he completes a substance abuse program and submit to testing of his breath, body fluids, or hair as directed by AP&P.

THERESA RATLIFF, ODIN'S MOM DEMANDING ACCOUNTABILITY

Theresa Ratliff, Odin’s mom is demanding accountability for her son’s death.

“The end result is I held my son dead in my arms and no parent should ever have to go through that. No one. And if there are people who should be held accountable, they should be held accountable,” she said.

My investigation found Barlow violated the terms of his parole agreement multiple times in the weeks leading up to the crash.

He tested positive for amphetamines and methamphetamine on April 11, 2022 and stopped going to treatment at Wasatch Behavioral Health after that. All the while AP&P who was in charge of his supervision claims they didn’t know either of those things.

I reached out to Dan Blanchard the Director of AP&P and Brian Nielson the Executive Director of the Utah Department of Corrections and told them about the evidence I have. Both refused to speak with me.

So, I took these same questions to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox who is ultimately the person over the Department of Corrections. But he has declined to do another interview since April 5, 2021, when he told me the following, "If someone doesn’t do their job then bad things happen and people have to be held accountable for that."

GOVERNOR COX RESPONSE

After 21-months of repeated denials to my requests for an interview with the governor about this, I tried to talk to him at an event where he was supposed to do interviews with the media but instead left before anyone could get an interview with him.

He told me, “You’re not gonna get one with me.”

STATE REPRESENTATIVE JUDY WEEKS ROHNER WEIGHS IN

We took these concerns and information about the Barlow case to Utah State Representative Judy Weeks Rohner who sits on the House Judiciary Committee. She represents legislative District 30 which encompasses West Valley City.

She introduced House Bill 246, “Board of Pardons and Parole Amendments" in the current legislative session.

She said her bill is a result of a Legislative Audit by the Legislative Auditor General that was triggered by the 2News Investigations into failed probation and parole supervision over the last two years.

The bill modifies the responsibilities of the Board of Pardons and Parole and requires the BOPP to “prioritize public safety when making a decision about an offender.” It would also enact reporting requirements.

On Friday, it received a favorable recommendation in the House Judiciary Committee.

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I asked her what she thought about the supervision failures regarding Barlow and that he was positive for drugs weeks before the deadly incident and had stopped going to drug treatment, and his AP&P agent Regan Ray did not know until after the fact.

“I think it’s absolutely deplorable,” she said. “I’m grateful that you brought this to my attention it goes against all my personal beliefs. I believe that we should have prisoners paroled if they should be, but we shouldn’t have dangerous criminals on the street.”

I then asked her if Barlow was a danger to the community to which she replied, “Yes he was.”

And then she said, “Shame on us. It needs to change. I feel so bad for these two little boys’ parents, it’s a travesty. And we can do better.”

Weeks Rohner said, “And hopefully we make little steps, and we can get this corrected. And as a legislator I hope that my counterparts will also see this and do more.” She went on to say, “Our justice system needs to be fair and equal to all and we need to have public safety, so our community members feel safe and secure.”

The Utah Department of Corrections has fought us every step of the way. We obtained Barlow’s supervision history last year but the majority of it was so heavily redacted we couldn't see anything.

We appealed to the State Records Committee who ordered UDC to lift the redactions on the May 3 with the exception of the name of the treatment provider. But the Attorney General representing UDC has appealed that ruling to district court.

Both UDC and Gov, Cox said they cannot speak to me now because of that appeal.