Devin Ratliff, a convicted killer, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for the 2016 killing of 20-month-old Rashad Halford Jr. and the attempted murder of two others. The 35-year-old’s sentence was part of a plea agreement reached midway through his murder trial that began in June.
Ratliff was facing a potential sentence of up to 114 years in prison for the revenge shooting that took place on June 21, 2016, outside an apartment complex in Fresno, California. Detectives testified that Ratliff was angry with Rashad Halford Sr. due to an alleged incident involving Ratliff’s daughter.
On the night of the shooting, Ratliff confronted Halford Sr. and his friend Willis Mucelroy as they sat outside, resulting in a shootout that left multiple people injured, including the toddler Rashad Jr., who died from his wounds.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Deborah Miller explained that the plea agreement was offered during the trial due to evidence that could have impacted the prosecution’s case. Halford Sr. also had a gun that night and was shooting back at Ratliff, which raised issues of self-defense.
Ultimately, Ratliff accepted responsibility for the shooting and pleaded no contest to charges of voluntary manslaughter for the toddler’s death and attempted murder for shooting Halford Sr. and Mucelroy. Halford Sr.’s attorney, Ralph Torres, stated that his client agreed to the plea because he acknowledged his substantial responsibility in the incident.
Torres commented on the outcome, expressing sorrow over the child’s death and highlighting the consequences of resorting to violence.
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