New judge to oversee again-delayed murder trial for deaths of 2 Eagle Mountain boys

PROVO — Kent Cody Barlow has a new attorney. And a new judge will oversee his murder trial now that is now delayed into next year — past the judge’s retirement.

The mothers of both toddlers killed when Barlow’s car went off the road and crashed into Cedar Valley Stables in Eagle Mountain spoke at a hearing on Monday about how repeated delays in the case have been difficult for the family and have impacted their mental health and recovery — something the family brought up during previous hearings.

Odin Jeffrey Ratliff and Hunter Charlie Jackson, both 3, were playing in an Eagle Mountain horse corral on May 2, 2022. A car that left the road and veered into the stables killed the boys. Three others in the car with Barlow testified that he was driving at a high rate of speed. They said he ran a stop sign before the car hit a bump. The bump sent the car off the road and out of control.

Eagle Mountain mothers call delayed justice “ridiculous”

Brooke Jackson, Hunter’s mother, said Monday it is “ridiculous” that they have been waiting for justice for 875 days. They have been constantly rearranging schedules to attend many different court hearings.

She said the case has become about the attorneys. It’s about “how many tantrums can the defense attorneys get away with,” she said. Rather than about Barlow and the victims. She said the attorneys keep saying they are not prepared for a trial and asked why they are still getting paid if they are not prepared.

Barlow, 28, faces two counts of murder, a first-degree felony. He is also charged with possession of a controlled substance, a class A misdemeanor. He is being represented by attorneys at the Utah County Public Defender’s Association. These attorneys are paid through public funds.

Please read the full story, and more from Emily Ashcraft, at KSL.com.