John Jefferson
Background: The truck driven by Kaylee Dutton (Iron County Sheriff’s Office). Left insets (clockwise from top left): Aldric Felipe, Ethan Galloway, Matthew Sorber-Petrie, Michael Hess-Witucki (Law&Crime Trials/YouTube). Inset (right): Kaylee Dutton (Provided by family to KSTU).
A Utah teen is dead after two men allegedly chased her down in her truck and opened fire on her and her friend, ultimately shooting at her 12 times.
Aldric Felipe, 21; Ethan Galloway, 23; Michael Hess-Witucki, 23; and Matthew Sorber-Petrie, 22, all appeared in court on Tuesday, days after they allegedly took part in the Jan. 17 murder of KayLee Dutton, 17. Two of them — Hess-Witucki and Galloway — have been charged with murder and 12 counts of felony discharge of a firearm. All four suspects were charged with obstruction of justice in connection to the alleged murder as well as possession of a controlled substance.
All four men are being held at the Iron County Jail without bail after being arrested on Jan. 18, the day after they allegedly followed Dutton and her unidentified 18-year-old friend from an apartment complex in what was revealed by police to be Hess-Witucki’s black truck. Dutton’s passenger told police that she first saw the suspects and the black truck in the complex, where both the girls and the suspects were located at the same time for “unrelated” reasons. A booking affidavit obtained by KSL, a local NBC affiliate, stated that several witnesses saw the black truck in the area and had surveillance video to back up the claim.
The affidavit also reportedly stated that Hess-Witucki and Galloway admitted to the crime during an interview with police. After being read their rights, the two men charged with murder allegedly “admitted to participating in the homicide.” Hess-Witucki stated that he was driving while Galloway allegedly fired the fatal shots from the front passenger seat.
According to the affidavit, “[t]heir justification for chasing the victim’s vehicle was they believed they had previously observed the victim’s vehicle in their neighborhood and presumed the occupants of the victim’s vehicle were [stalking] them.” Galloway reportedly wrote a letter to Dutton’s parents apologizing for what he had done. Sorber-Petrie, who remained at the residence with Felipe, allegedly admitted to lending the other two men the gun knowing that they intended to pursue Dutton.
Dutton’s parents spoke to Salt Lake City Fox affiliate KSTU about their daughter. Her father, Waylon Dutton, recounted the last words he said to KayLee as she left their home on Jan. 17, saying, “She came in. Her mom said, ‘Where are you going now, Kaylee?’ She said, ‘I don’t know. We’re going to go find something.’ My last words to her were, ‘Just be careful.””
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