Family of murdered Bullitt County mother of 2 demands justice for her death
Munashe Kwangwari
THIS IS WLKY NEWS AT 11. GOOD EVENING. I'M DREW GARDNER A BULLITT COUNTY MOTHER. OF TO MURDER JUST DAYS BEFORE HER 30TH BIRTHDAY WITH THE TRIGGER PULLER STILL AT LARGE HER FAMILY NOW DEMANDING JUSTICE ETH FAMILY OF ARIEL BARTON HELD A VIGIL TODAY TO SAY GOOYEDB AFTER SHE WAS SHOT AND KILLED IN LOUISVILLE ON THURSDAY. WLKYS MINOSHKOVARI SHOWS US WHY THEY WANT THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE .CAN YOU PUT I LOVE YOU? ONE FINAL MESSAGE. I ONLY COUNTED THREE WE'RE GONNA LET HIM GO. OKAY. AND THEN THE RELEASE DEREK KESSINGER SAYS IT'S AN UNEXPECTED. GOODEBY TO ARIEL BARTON THE PERSON HE CALLEDIS H COMPANION RFO THE LAST 12 YEARS WHIT TEARS RUNNING DOWN HIS FACE. HE EMBRACED ARIEL'SOM M DURING A VIGIL SUNDAY MAKING SURE TO HIDE THE TEARS FMRO THE FIVE-YEAR-OLD AND FIVE MONTH OLD BOYS THE TWO SHARE I GOTTA STAY STRONG FOR THEM. BUT EVEN HE WOULD ADMIT THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH. STRENGTH A PERSON CAN HAVE SATURDAY BEFEOR ALL OF THIS HAPPENED MY FATHER PASSED AWAY. AND THENE W HAD HIS FUNERAL WEDNESDAY AND ALL THIS HAPPENED THURSDAY ACCORDING TO POLICE SHORTLY BEFORE 4:30 PM THIS PAST THURSDAY ARIEL. BARTON WAS SHOT IN A HOME ON HARLAN AVENUE NOTOO T FAR FROM CARDINAL STADIUM. SHE WAS TAKEN TO A NEARBY HOSPITALHE WRE SHE DIED. SHE WAS ON HER W TAYO TAKE ME TO WORK WHEN WE GOT THE PHONE CALL THAT HER FATHER HAD PASSED AWAY. SO WE HEADED OVER TO OUR DAD'S HER DAD'S WAS THE HOUSE ON RLHAAN AVENUE AND WITHIN MINUTES OF ARRIVING KESSINGER HEARD A SODUN HE'LL NEVER FORGET OUR GUNSHOT. AND I WENT INSIDE AND IT'SHE WN I FOUND AERIAL LANE ON THE FLOOR TAKING WHAT WOULD TURN OUT TO BE RHE LAST BREATH. IT'S UNCERTAIN WHAT HAPPENED INSIDE, BUT IT LEFT HIM WITH THE REALITY TTHA HE'D JUST BURIED HIS DAD LOST HIS GIRLFRIDEN ARIEL AND HER FATHER IN JUST 24 HOURS. LIKE A DREAM NIGHTMARE, REALLY EVERYTHING CAN BE TAKEN JUST LIKE THAT. IT REALLY CAN. U KYONOW, I NEVER THOUGHT THIS WOULD HAPPEN TO ME. YOU KNOWBU, UNFORTUNATELY IT DID. AND NOW THAT WEOT G TO DEAL WITH IT. IT'S A TOUGH ROAD AHEAD BUTO T LPHE SOFTEN THE BLOW. ALL AERIALS LOVED ONES ARE ASKING FOR IJUS STICE. I REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO BE ON CAMERA, BUT I THOUGHT MAYBE I SHOULD BE MAYBE I SHOULD BE BEING HER MOTHER,OU Y KNOW, AND I WANT I WANT THIS GIRL TO BE CAUGHT. SHE TOOK THE LIFE OF MY DAUGHTER. I MEAN, IT'S JUST IT'' JUST THE NUMBER ONE THING THEY NEEDO T CLOSE THIS NIGHTMARE OF A CHAPTER. WE'RE GONNA GET THROUGH THIS. I PROMISE, YOU KNOW WE HEAV TO IN BULLITT COUNTY MINASHKUNGARI WL KY NEWS. PLEASE SAY THEY'VE INTERVIEWED A PERSON OF INTERESTND A ARE CURRENTLY FOLLOWING UP WITH THE LEADS ONCE FINISHED. THEY'L' CONSULT WITH THE COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
A Bullitt County mother of two was murdered, just days before her 30th birthday. With the trigger puller still at large her family is now demanding justice.The family of Aeriell Barton believes she was killed unfairly in Louisville on Thursday, and on Sunday they held a vigil in Mt. Washington to say their goodbyes."Are you going to put I love you?" said Derrick Kessinger, to he and Aeriell's 5-year-old son, who was writing a message to Aeriell on a ballon.It was a simple, but important final message for Kessinger, before releasing the balloons into the sky. Aeriell was the person he called his companion for the last 12 years. With tears running down his face he embraced Arielle's mom during the balloon release making sure to hide the tears from the 5-year-old and 5-month-old boys the two share."I have to stay strong for them," said Kessinger.However, even he would admit, there's only so much strength a person can have."The Saturday before all of this happened , my father passed away," said Kessinger. "We had his funeral Wednesday, and all this happened Thursday."According to LMPD shortly before 4:30 p.m. on Thursday May 19th, Aeriell Barton was shot in a home on Harlan Avenue, not too far from Cardinal Stadium.She was taken to a nearby hospital where she died."That day she was on her way to take me to work," said Kessinger. "But then she got the phone call that her father had passed away, so we headed over to her dad's house."Her dad's house was the house on Harlan avenue, and within minutes of arriving, Kessinger heard a sound he'll never forget."It sounded like a book slamming on the floor," said Kessinger. "I heard the gunshot, and I went inside, and that's when I saw Aeriell laying on the floor."She was taking what would turn out to be her last breath.It's uncertain what happened inside the home, but according to Aeriell's mom Cam Barton, a fight broke out between Aeriell and another woman who was in the home. She said it was not long before the fight escalated and the woman pulled out a gun. Cam Barton said the woman then confessed to the shooting.When the dust settled, Kessinger realized he had just buried his dad, lost his girlfriend and her father in just 24 hours. "It's been like a dream," said Kessinger. "A nightmare really. Everything can be taken just like that. It really can. I never thought this would happen to me, but unfortunately it did, and now we got to deal with it."It'll be a tough road ahead, but to help soften the blow all Aeriell's loved ones are asking for is justice."She didn't deserve it," said Cam Barton, Aeriell's mom. "She would've been 30-years-old on the 25th of May. I really want this girl to be caught. She took the life of my daughter." Police say they've interviewed a person of interest and are currently following up with leads. Once finished they'll consult with the commonwealth attorney's office to determine what charges, if any, are applicable.
BULLITT COUNTY, Ky. —
A Bullitt County mother of two was murdered, just days before her 30th birthday. With the trigger puller still at large her family is now demanding justice.
The family of Aeriell Barton believes she was killed unfairly in Louisville on Thursday, and on Sunday they held a vigil in Mt. Washington to say their goodbyes.
"Are you going to put I love you?" said Derrick Kessinger, to he and Aeriell's 5-year-old son, who was writing a message to Aeriell on a ballon.
It was a simple, but important final message for Kessinger, before releasing the balloons into the sky. Aeriell was the person he called his companion for the last 12 years.
With tears running down his face he embraced Arielle's mom during the balloon release making sure to hide the tears from the 5-year-old and 5-month-old boys the two share.
"I have to stay strong for them," said Kessinger.
However, even he would admit, there's only so much strength a person can have.
"The Saturday before all of this happened [Aeriell's murder], my father passed away," said Kessinger. "We had his [Kessinger's dad] funeral Wednesday, and all this [Aeriell's murder] happened Thursday."
According to LMPD shortly before 4:30 p.m. on Thursday May 19th, Aeriell Barton was shot in a home on Harlan Avenue, not too far from Cardinal Stadium.
She was taken to a nearby hospital where she died.
"That day she was on her way to take me to work," said Kessinger. "But then she got the phone call that her father had passed away, so we headed over to her dad's house."
Her dad's house was the house on Harlan avenue, and within minutes of arriving, Kessinger heard a sound he'll never forget.
"It sounded like a book slamming on the floor," said Kessinger. "I heard the gunshot, and I went inside, and that's when I saw Aeriell laying on the floor."
She was taking what would turn out to be her last breath.
It's uncertain what happened inside the home, but according to Aeriell's mom Cam Barton, a fight broke out between Aeriell and another woman who was in the home. She said it was not long before the fight escalated and the woman pulled out a gun. Cam Barton said the woman then confessed to the shooting.
When the dust settled, Kessinger realized he had just buried his dad, lost his girlfriend and her father in just 24 hours.
"It's been like a dream," said Kessinger. "A nightmare really. Everything can be taken just like that. It really can. I never thought this would happen to me, but unfortunately it did, and now we got to deal with it."
It'll be a tough road ahead, but to help soften the blow all Aeriell's loved ones are asking for is justice.
"She didn't deserve it," said Cam Barton, Aeriell's mom. "She would've been 30-years-old on the 25th of May. I really want this girl [the alleged suspect] to be caught. She took the life of my daughter."
Police say they've interviewed a person of interest and are currently following up with leads.
Once finished they'll consult with the commonwealth attorney's office to determine what charges, if any, are applicable.