More than a year after KayLee Dutton's murder, her parents continue to deal with grief over the loss of the 17-year-old who was killed during an armed chase outside Cedar City, Utah.

The young woman was murdered in January 2024 when several men shot at the red truck she was driving. According to the investigation, he was shot seven times, lost control of the vehicle and ended up crashing into a fence. He died that same night at a local hospital.

In a recent interview with KSL-TV, her mother, Kimberlee Dutton, revealed the last message she received from her daughter.

“He was just checking in,” he recalled. The text arrived at 9:45 p.m. and said: “I'm just letting you know that I'm fine.”

Less than an hour later, he received a call informing him that the teenager had been rushed to the hospital by ambulance.

A pursuit based on mistaken suspicion

According to court documents, the defendants mistakenly believed KayLee was harassing them.

Investigators said Ethan Andrew Galloway and Michael Hess-Witucki observed the young woman's truck near her residence and began chasing her in a black Chevrolet Silverado.

KayLee and an 18-year-old friend tried to drive several miles out of town. However, the occupants of the van managed to pair up with them.

According to the indictment, Galloway opened fire with an AR-15 style rifle and fired repeatedly at the vehicle.

The teenager died as a result of her injuries, while her companion survived with a leg injury.

Two convicted and a pending trial

Galloway, identified as the shooter, and Hess-Witucki, who was driving the vehicle, pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.

A third defendant, Aldric Felipe, admitted charges related to obstruction of justice and illegal weapons possession, receiving a sentence of probation.

Meanwhile, Matthew Sorber-Petrie will face trial in the coming months.

Although prosecutors maintain that he did not directly participate in the attack, they accuse him of knowing the plan to pursue the young woman and of having provided the weapon used in the crime. Sorber-Petrie has pleaded not guilty.

A relationship that marked the last months of his life

The investigation also revealed that KayLee was near Justin Driffill's home when the attack occurred.

Driffill, 27, was later convicted of having unlawful sexual relations with the teenager when she was between 16 and 17 years old.

Although he was not charged in connection with the murder, KayLee's family believes that the relationship indirectly influenced the events that led to his death.

Her mother has publicly expressed that she believes her daughter would never have been in that area that night if that connection had not existed.

Seventeen months after the tragedy, Kimberlee and her husband, Waylon Dutton, say the pain remains intact.

They describe their daughter as an adventurous young woman who enjoyed outdoor activities, dirt bikes and bull riding.

As the trial of the last defendant approaches, the family maintains hope that the judicial process will help close one of the most painful chapters of their lives, although they recognize that no sentence will be able to return their daughter to them.