T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK
Okie Barton III listens as Ohio Assistant Public Defender William Mooney speaks to him during his sentencing. He was sentenced for the murders of his father and stepmother. He will spend 33 years to life behind bars for the crime. The reason for the killings remains unexplained.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Okie Barton III did not ask for forgiveness as he was sentenced to life in prison on Monday. Instead, he fought back tears and said he did not deserve to be forgiven.

The double murder of his parents — Okie Barton Jr. and Annie Barton — shocked the community of Glencoe, where both died of gunshots wounds in their home. Barton III, recently pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated murder in their deaths. Belmont County Common Pleas Judge John Vavra imposed the recommended sentence of life without the possibility of parole for 30 years for each count, to be served concurrently with a three-year firearm specification.

As a result, the 19-year-old Barton III will spend at least 33 years behind bars.

His sentencing Monday brought the legal proceedings in the case to an end, but many unanswered questions remain for the extended family of the Bartons.

The shootings occurred on Nov. 9 at the home Barton III shared with the couple in Glencoe. Barton III called 911 from a neighbor’s phone to report the incident. The bodies of Okie Barton Jr., 48, and Annie Barton, 45, were found inside the residence.

Annie Barton, Barton III’s stepmother, had been the director of human resources at the Peterson Rehabilitation Hospital. Okie Barton Jr., the defendant’s father, was an independent diesel mechanic.

During the emotional sentencing hearing Monday, the courtroom was filled with extended family members. Three of those relatives chose to speak in court.

Dawn Barack, sister of Okie Barton Jr., said the details of the night of the murder will remain with her forever.

“In a situation like this, your reality is destroyed,” she said. “I couldn’t comprehend the totality.”

She continued to describe the process of informing other family members about the deaths, and she described their traumatized reactions.

“Our family has not grown past this point. We are stuck in the horror of that night forever,” she said. “Everything we have worked for as a family has been destroyed because of one selfish, horrific act. …

“A great deal of us, who we were, died with Okie, Annie and the loss of you,” she told her nephew.

Barack said she would continue to love Barton III but said he must now live with the consequences of his crime. She said Barton III has created his own nightmare.

Brenda Owens, sister of Annie Barton and aunt of Okie Barton III, said the pain observed in the courtroom would continue.

“I hate what we’re watching right now,” she said, reflecting on the continuing confusion that stemmed from the crime. “I don’t think I’ll ever understand, but I would like to know why.”

Owens also referred to the perceived happiness of the family and the love Barton III’s stepmother had for him.

“I never would have seen this coming,” she said. “It’s been a living hell for us.”

Cassie Whaley, niece of Annie Barton and cousin to Barton III, said the day of the crime was the worst day of her life. She described Annie Barton as a central part of their family.

“Before this, our family was a circle of strength and love. Annie brought you into our family,” she told the defendant. “She treated you as family.”

Whaley described the pain she and other family members experienced.

“The house where so many memories were made now sits a cold and empty shell,” she said, pointing to the senselessness of the crime. “It still leaves us with the question of ‘Why?'”

Barton III’s uncle, who was identified in court only as Mr. West and the brother of the defendant’s biological mother, spoke on Barton III’s behalf. He extended condolences to the rest of the family and talked about his experiences with Barton III’s childhood.

“That night was not the Okie that I knew,” he said. “It totally destroyed everything I knew about him.”

He added that he believes his nephew regrets his crime.

Belmont County Prosecutor Dan Fry said Barton harmed more people than he realized by committing the murders.

“This defendant in an act of senseless violence took two lives, and whether he knew it then, I hope he knows it today. Not only did he take two lives, he has impacted an extended family forever,” Fry said, adding that the legal system and the court have given the family as much justice as possible. “The one thing I can’t tell them is why … they deserve to know why their loved ones were taken from them.”

Ohio Assistant Public Defender William Mooney said this was one of his most troubling cases he has handled, due to the familial nature of the homicides. He cited Barton III’s consistent remorse, saying he should not be judged by his worst action.

“Okie Barton is not a terrible person. He did a terrible thing,” Mooney said, adding that while the family deserves an explanation, it may not be possible.

“He can’t give anybody an explanation. I don’t think he knows what happened and why it happened that night,” Mooney said, adding that while the penalty of the law is insignificant compared to the pain Barton III has caused, the remorse will continue to weigh on him. “He is sorry for what he did. He understands what he did. He is horrified by what he did.”

Barton also spoke briefly.

“I don’t deserve my family’s forgiveness, so I won’t ask for it,” he said. “If there was anything I could do to take it back, I would. I’d do anything to bring them back. I don’t know what happened.”