19-year-old Walker Moulton pleaded guilty this morning to a reduced charge of negligent homicide, a misdemeanor, as the driver in an accident last fall that claimed the life of Ark City High football player Rhett Lathers.
He had been charged with a felony count of first-degree manslaughter for the Oct. 26, 2021 accident that occurred in rural Newkirk, Okla. Moulton made his plea in Kay County Dist. Court before Judge David Wilkie.
Moulton, 2021 ACHS graduate, also pleaded guilty to a charge of DUI by a person under 21. In Oklahoma, drivers under the drinking age are held to a zero-tolerance standard.
The reduction in charge was the result of a plea agreement with prosecutors.
If he complies with certain conditions and avoids any future legal trouble, Moulton will not face jail time. Erica Lathers, Rhett’s mother, addressed the court on behalf of the family and asked that Moulton face no charges for the incident.
Wilkie sentenced Moulton to a year-and-a-half of court supervised probation and 120 hours of community service, to be completed over a 5-year-period. He will owe some legal fees and have to complete a defensive driving course and alcohol and substance abuse courses.
Late the day of the accident, Moulton was the driver of a 2000 Jeep Wrangler that rolled and ejected two passengers in rural Kay County. The accident happened on a two-lane gravel road at East Judo Road and North Enterprize Road, six miles north and four-and-a-half miles east of Newkirk.
Lathers, a senior member of the football team, was killed. Two others were injured. Moulton was and Lathers were best friends, Erica Lathers told the court.
Attorneys for Moulton said two factors led to the lesser charge and subsequent lighter sentence. One was the condition of the gravel roadway where the crash occurred and the other was the Moulton’s low blood-alcohol content.
Law enforcement measured Moulton’s BAC at .03. The legal limit is .08. If Moulton had been 21 or older, he’d have been driving legally that night.
Moulton received a 5-year suspended jail sentence for the negligent homicide charge and 1-year for the DUI count. He could serve any or all of that if he were to not comply with conditions of his sentence.
Moulton had been free on $100,000 bond.