What did Rhett Barlow do? Raliegh man arrested in murder-for-hire plot to avenge mother's death in 2016 traffic accident

22-year-old Rhett Barlow allegedly attempted to kill a man to avenge his mother's death. The man, identified as Donald Caulder Jr., reportedly struck Barlow's mother in a crash, that ended up killing her, back in 2016. Barlow is accused of hiring a hitman to murder Donald.

Authorities shed light on the 2016 crash that killed Rhett's mother, Michelle Barlow while investigating the current allegations. Police claimed that no evidence had been recovered then, which would prove that Donald tried pulling the brake to prevent the collision. Police also discovered that Donald had several driving-related violations since 2008.

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Rhett Barlow allegedly hired a hitman to kill his mother's reported murderer

The incident can be traced back to March 22, 2016, when a fatal crash took place on Capital Boulevard near Burlington Mills Road. The crash involved a minivan, which was driven by Rhett's mother Michelle, and a Freightliner dump truck driven by Donald. He allegedly rear-ended Michelle's vehicle which eventually killed her.

Donald Caulder Jr. was then charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle and failure to reduce speed. The News & Observer reported that after the crash, the dump truck was piled over the minivan. According to a Highway Patrol Investigation, the dump truck's brakes were not functional when the crash occurred. After the arrest, Caulder was convicted in 2017.

While Michelle's husband said that he had forgiven Donald, the story probably wasn't the same for Rhett Barlow. Recently, he has been accused of hiring a hitman to kill Donald, as a part of his revenge plot. Additional information about the plot has not been revealed as of now. Rhett has been arrested by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division.

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Barlow's mother, Michell, has been described as a well-liked teacher

Michelle Barlow was reportedly an English teacher at the Wake Forest High School, during the 2016 car crash. It was revealed that she was a "well-liked" teacher. A fundraiser was also launched to meet the funeral expenses of Michelle.

According to The News & Observer, Rhett Barlow's mum was out of the campus to attend a work meeting, when the horrific crash killed her. The news station further reported that about a year after the tragic incident, the Wake County school system and the state Department of Public Instruction sent about $350,000 to Michelle's family. According to her obituary,

"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."

Barlow's mother was killed in a tragic crash in 2016, (Image via Taylor Milton/X)

After the arrest on Saturday, January 6, authorities booked Rhett Barlow into the Wake County Detention Center, and he has been charged with solicitation to commit first-degree murder. A secured bond of $1 million has also been issued for the suspect. The case is currently an ongoing investigation.