Convicted Fresno baby killer facing 114 years sentenced to prison. Shooting was revenge

Convicted killer Devin Ratliff was sentenced to 40 years in prison Friday for the 2016 killing of 20-month-old Rashad Halford Jr. and the attempted murder of two others.

The 35-year-old Ratliff’s sentence was the result of a plea agreement offered by prosecutors midway through his murder trial that began in June.

Ratliff was facing up to 114 years in prison for the revenge shooting that happened on June 21, 2016, outside a southeast Fresno apartment complex in the 3000 block of East Platt Avenue.

Detectives testified that Ratliff was angry with Rashad Halford Sr. because Ratliff accused Halford Sr. of hitting his daughter during an argument. The night of the shooting, Ratliff snuck into the complex where Halford Sr. lived at about 10:30 p.m. and confronted Halford Sr. and his friend Willis Mucelroy as they sat outside. Sitting near his father was Rashad Jr.

Multiple rounds were fired by Ratliff and Halford Sr.

Halford Sr., Mucelroy and Rashad Jr. were struck by bullets, and the baby died from his wounds.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Deborah Miller said the plea agreement was offered during the trial based on evidence that was being presented that could affect the people’s case.

Miller explained that there was testimony that the baby’s father also had a gun that night and was shooting back at Ratliff, a fact Halford did not initially admit to police.

“He eventually did come clean to officers, and the people felt he acted in self defense,” Miller said. “However, it was definitely an issue the jury was going to have to consider.”

In the end, Miller said, she was able to get Ratliff to accept responsibility for the shooting and to plead no contest to voluntary manslaughter for the death of the child and no contest to attempted murder for shooting Halford Sr. and Mucelroy.

The attorney for Halford Sr., Ralph Torres, was pleased with the outcome of the plea agreement. Torres said prior to the offer of a plea deal, he was getting ready to introduce evidence that there were bullet fragments inside the child’s body that came Halford Sr.’s gun.

Torres said his client agreed to the plea because he was “substantially responsible.”

“It is a shame that a child died,” Torres said. “But this is what happens when people decide to shoot it out.”