Tearfully, families recall loved ones lost in DUI crash. The killer is going to prison

“Nobody wins.”

The phrase was repeated again and again as family members took the stand and stared at the man convicted of killing their loved ones in a 2014 drunk driving crash, hoping some good could emerge from the tragedy.

The sentencing hearing for Brody Catt on Friday was purposefully postponed so relatives of the victims could speak out. Those who attended lined the benches along one side of the courtroom. It was just two days before the three-year anniversary of the crash that took the lives of three teenagers and seriously injured a fourth.

“There are no words that can even come close to describing the pain and devastation the family has felt since Sean’s death,” Theresa Caudill said. Her son, Sean Barrett, was killed in the Nov. 19, 2014 crash.

Catt, 35, previously pleaded no contest to three counts of driving under the influence manslaughter, one count of DUI causing bodily injury and two counts of DUI causing damage to personal property as part of a plea deal. He was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison, a sentence arranged as part of his plea.

Catt chose not to speak at the hearing. He sat nearly motionless next to his attorney throughout the hearing and the families’ tearful testimony, staring straight ahead.

Before passing down his sentencing, Circuit Judge Hunter Carroll read off the names of those involved in the crash: Amber France, Lee Edington, Sean Barrett and Nick Watson.

“You’ve heard the consequences of your choice,” Carroll said.

Two of the teens, France, 18, and Barrett, 19, died instantly in the crash. Edington, 19, died at Blake Medical Center several days later due to his injuries.

Nicholas Everette Watson, of Myakka, was in a coma for two months after the crash.

Another person suffered minor injuries.

Watson, who intended to address Catt with his own statement, became overwhelmed with emotion and had his mother read the statement on his behalf. As she read, Watson sat on the courtroom benches with his head bowed.

“You have obviously ruined my life, I used to be a heavy equipment operator,” read Watson’s mother, Vicky Lanson. “My life sometimes isn’t worth living. I suffer every day, sometimes I hate waking up. I have nightmares. I’m scared to be alone at times. You’ve given me a life sentence of pain and hurt.”

He wasn’t the only person who spoke of nightmares.

Jerry Edington, with a photo of his son, Lee, propped up at the witness stand, said he has nightmares about Lee’s death. In one, he recalls shouting and running through the halls of Lee’s high school, calling out and looking for his son, knowing he is not there.

He recalled seeing his son’s body, before he was declared brain dead after suffering a stroke in the hospital.

As Jerry Edington tearfully read his statement, other family members in the courtroom wiped tears from their eyes and held each other close.

Hope for lessons learned

Jerry Edington, Lee’s mother Diane Edington and Lee’s brother Kyle Edington — all of whom spoke at the hearing — hope some good comes from the tragedy. Mainly, that Catt is able to learn from his mistake and teach others to avoid a similar decision.

“Our hope is that people will be made aware of the severity of Mr. Catt’s punishment and choose not to get behind the wheel impaired. If one life is spared, one injury prevented or one family is spared life-long, incomprehensible grief, the outcome of these proceedings will have immeasurable value,” Jerry Edington said in a statement from the family after the hearing.

Mark France spoke of his daughter, Amber, while looking at a crumbled piece of paper he had pulled from his pocket before sitting down in the witness stand. He recalled her love of art and soccer, her first love, Lee, and her grades in school, which were As and Bs.

“You took that away from us. She was loved by so many people. She made friends wherever she went,” France said.

But he, like the Edingtons, hopes Catt is able to use the experience to help others not make the same mistake.

“We hope you make a difference in other peoples’ lives by sharing your testimony with them and with other people. We’re sorry your parents, family and friends have to go through all this. Nobody wins. Nobody,” France said before returning to his seat.

Forgiveness

The Edington family said they forgave Catt for causing the deaths.

“I forgive you, Mr. Catt,” Kyle Edington said. “Although I forgive you, I will never forget what your decision did to this family.”

Though they spoke of forgiveness, not everyone who spoke was able to do so.

Watson’s statement read by his mother went on to say he could have forgiven Catt, but he “just can’t.”

Most who took the stand even expressed sadness for Carr’s family, knowing their son was going to prison.

“I do not seek revenge in the situation,” Jerry Edington said. “The bottom line is, nobody wins here.”

At the time of the crash on County Road 675, investigators reported Catt reeked of alcohol and had an open beer.

Catt was arrested Jan. 8, 2016, though the state attorney’s office filed charges against him on Dec. 22, 2015 after prosecutors obtained the results of blood tests taken was in the hospital after the crash.

Catt, according to his attorney, Brandon Daniels, was out of the state when the warrant was filed, which Daniels said he explained to authorities. Catt was pulled over and arrested when he returned.

“Nobody wins in this situation,” Daniels said after the hearing.

Though the Edingtons felt justice has been served, Daniels says his client was treated unfairly by the justice system.

Daniels filed an appeal Friday in hopes to get the blood evidence, which he said was mishandled by authorities, suppressed and the three DUI convictions overturned. A motion to suppress the evidence was previously denied.

After the sentencing hearing, Daniels said there are other details about the crash from the investigation that are being discussed in ongoing civil cases.

“I imagine none of that’s been told to the families,” he said.

This story was originally published November 17, 2017 at 11:32 AM with the headline "Tearfully, families recall loved ones lost in DUI crash. The killer is going to prison."