CEDAR CITY — A Cedar City couple is sharing their story — a story of grief, disbelief and the long road through the criminal justice process.
KayLee Dutton, 17, was killed in January of last year after four men chased her truck and fired multiple rounds into the vehicle. Three of the four suspects have now been sentenced; the final defendant is expected to stand trial this summer.
A memorial for KayLee
A small memorial now sits at the Iron County intersection where KayLee Dutton’s truck came to rest. Her parents said it’s a painful reminder of a girl who lived boldly and loved deeply.
“She was a daredevil,” her mother said. “She loved dirt bikes, bull riding — anything outdoors, she was in it.”
“A wild child,” her father added.
The night of the tragedy
KayLee had just gotten a new truck that winter. On the night she died, she and her best friend were taking it out for a drive.
“I got a text from her at 9:45 that night, saying, ‘Just checking in,’” her mother recalled.
Less than an hour later, the phone rang again, this time from KayLee’s best friend, panicked and screaming.
“I said, ‘Where’s KayLee?’ and she just started screaming,” her mother said. “She said, ‘She’s in the ambulance.’”
The Duttons raced to the crash site just a couple of miles from their home. KayLee’s truck had smashed through a fence.
“I just remember falling to the dirt and begging God, ‘Please don’t take my baby. Not my baby,’” her mother said.
Her father remembers the shock.
“I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “I was thinking, ‘This can’t be real. This is terrible.'”
Details of the fatal shooting
Investigators later determined that two men had chased the teens and fired 12 rounds into the truck.
“She had been shot seven times,” her mother said.
KayLee died at the hospital that night.
The parents' enduring grief
The Duttons said the grief has not eased with time.
“Life is super hard without her,” her mother said. “It’s really extremely hard without her.”
“I never thought that I could love someone so much,” he mother added.
They describe KayLee as a girl with a huge heart, and someone who loved fiercely and lived fully. Accepting that she’s not coming home has been the hardest part.
Four men charged; one trial still ahead.
Status of criminal defendants
Investigators say four roommates were involved in the shooting:
Michael Edward Hess‑Witucki and Ethan Galloway are each serving 15 years to life for their roles in KayLee’s death.
Aldric Felipe, charged in connection with related offenses, is currently on probation.
Matthew D. Sorber‑Petrie, the final defendant, is scheduled to stand trial this summer.
The Duttons said they are trying to take life one day at a time as they wait for the final chapter of the case to unfold.
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