KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Grain Valley man found guilty of murdering his estranged wife was sentenced Thursday to life in prison without parole, according to Clay County prosecutors.
In September, jurors found 70-year-old Larry Ratliff guilty of stabbing Carolyn Ratliff, 65, to death on Jan. 4, 2016.
During his three-day trial, Ratliff said he “inadvertently pulled a hunting knife from a sheath while trying to retrieve a cellphone” before losing control and stabbing his wife.
Ratliff died of multiple stab wounds at a family member’s residence in the 10200 block of Northeast 38th Street in Kansas City, Missouri.
Clay County Judge Shane T. Alexander sentenced Ratliff to a life sentence without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 40 years on a charge of armed criminal action.
