Rhett Michael Barlow, 22, of Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina, United States is a U.S. Army sergeant. He is a North Carolina National Guardsman.
Donald Wayne Caulder Jr., 36, of Larinburg, Scotland County, North Carolina is accused of being involved in the fatal car crash that ended the life of Michelle Simone Barlow of Wake Forest, North Carolina. She is Rhett’s mother.
From January 2015 to June 2015, Michelle was an English teacher at Panther Creek High School. In August 2015, she started teaching English at Wake Forest High School.
On March 22, 2016, Caulder was driving a 2004 Freightliner dump truck towing a bobcat while Michelle was a driving a Sienna minivan. The dump truck hit the minivan from behind on U.S. 1 and Capital Boulevard in Raleigh.
The minivan was destroyed. Michelle died from her injurie.
Caulder was arrested, charged with misdemeanor death by a motor vehicle and failure to reduce speed and was released under a written promise to appear in court in Wake County on June 28, 2016. After pleading guilty in the case, he was given a suspended sentence and 12 months probation.
On November 28, 2023, Rhett bought two guns including an AR-15 Springfield rifle. On the same day, he allegedly tried to a hire a hitman to murder Caulder in Wake Forest.
The would-be hitman contacted police to turn Rhett in. On January 6, 2024, he was arrested at Fort Liberty in North Carolina by the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigation Division and charged with soliciting first-degree murder.
On January 8, 2024, Barlow appeared in court. The judge ordered him remain held at Wake County Detention Center in Raleigh on a $1 million bond and undergo a mental health evaluation.
CONAN Daily 