In the quiet community of Eubank, Kentucky, the life of 24-year-old Thomas Edward Ratliff was cut tragically short on April 27, 2015. A white male, Thomas was a husband and a father to three young sons. The events of that evening would leave a lasting scar on his family and the local community.
Pulaski County Sheriff's deputies were called to a residence on Hansford Road late that Monday night, where they discovered Thomas suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
He was immediately airlifted to the University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital for emergency medical treatment. Despite the efforts of medical professionals, Thomas succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the shooting quickly identified a suspect, leading to an arrest in connection with the death. The individual taken into custody was Christopher L. Letner, who was the 21-year-old half-brother of Thomas Ratliff. Shortly after the shooting, Letner himself contacted the 911 dispatch center. He was apprehended at a different residence and was found to be in possession of two handguns.
Letner was initially charged with murder. However, in January of 2016, he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree manslaughter. Prosecutors indicated that had the case proceeded to trial, evidence would have shown the shooting occurred as the result of a fight between the two half-brothers. Christopher Letner was subsequently sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in the death of Thomas Ratliff, a somber conclusion to a devastating family tragedy.
