Mississippi State University student Sawyer Thomas Steede’s aggravated manslaughter DUI charge has been reduced to a first demeanor DUI charge.
Steede was charged with aggravated manslaughter DUI after a fatal accident in September in the McDonald’s and Cold Stone Creamery parking lot, resulting in the death of his friend and fellow MSU student Kaleb Barker.
Rod Ray, Steede’s lawyer, said he knew Barker’s parents did not want Steede to be charged because they knew the incident was an accident.
Ray said Barker’s parents told the grand jury they thought it was a tragic accident and did not want anything to happen to Steede.
Ray said Steede said he did not accelerate the truck, but the truck accelerated on its own.
Ray said the law firm hired a computer car expert to look into Steede’s statement.
“It did have a malfunction on the day that this occurred, which is wonderful that it showed that my client was telling the truth and had not in recollection pushed the gas,” Ray said.
Sonya Barker, Kaleb Barker’s mom, said she believes her husband was key in Steede’s reduced sentence. 
“He (Kaleb’s father) showed pictures of the boys together and asked them to not take another child away from him,” Barker said.
Barker said she never doubted Steede’s innoncence.
“We didn’t blame Sawyer from the beginning. We never blamed him at one moment. When we got the full report, it cemented our belief even more,” Barker said.