In a story fueled by grief and rage, a North Carolina man has been arrested for allegedly trying to hire a hitman to kill the driver who caused his mother's fatal car crash in 2016. Rhett Michael Barlow, 22, of Raleigh, faces a charge of soliciting to commit first-degree murder after police learned of his alleged plot. He remains in Wake Forest Jail on a $1 million bond.
While details of the alleged scheme are still under wraps, police say the investigation continues and more information will be released as it becomes available.
The tragic incident unfolded on March 22, 2016, when Donald Caulder Jr., then 29, rear-ended Michelle Barlow's van with his work dump truck. Michelle, a beloved teacher with the Wake County Public School System, was on her way home from a workshop when the collision occurred. The impact pushed her vehicle into another car, leaving her with fatal injuries.
Caulder, facing charges of misdemeanor death by vehicle and failure to reduce speed, pleaded guilty in 2017 and received a 75-day jail sentence along with a suspended license. He also settled a lawsuit filed by Michelle's estate with a payment of around $285,000.
Michelle's obituary paints a picture of a dedicated educator whose passion extended far beyond the classroom walls. "Her love for teaching, though great as it was, would always be second to the love she had for the students themselves," it reads. "Her desire was to meet each student's needs right where they were while always placing the greater value on the heart of the student and the development of their truest potential."
Now, her son's actions raise questions about the limits of grief and the pursuit of justice in the face of tragedy.
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