Metro Family Committed To Memorializing Their Loved One After Several Vandalism Incidents

It’s been over a year since a 17-year-old Westmoore High School student was killed by a driver under the influence. His family built a memorial at the crash site only for it to be torn down time and time again. 

Kolby Dutton’s family is begging whoever keeps doing this to let their family grieve and stop tearing down the memorial.

“Feels like heartbreak all over again,” Kasey Dutton, Kolby’s sister, said.

Kasey, her friends and family, made a memorial shortly after the death of her brother in May of 2022. Kolby was driving his motorcycle down Western, when he was hit and killed by 70-year-old Judy Todd.

“That memorial right there on 107th and Western was to honor my brother,” Kasey said.

The first memorial was a cross with Kolby’s name, birth and death date—and a motorcycle on the top, similar to the one he drove.

“Making it a piece of peace and beauty instead of tragedy,” Kasey said.

But if you drive down the intersection of SW 107th and Western—the site of the crash—you won’t see the memorial.

“A few weeks after my brother's death the memorial was torn down,” Kasey said.

After the memorial was torn down the first time, Kasey and her friends and family built a new one. This one was purple, with Kolby’s name and a plaque with his birth and death date.

The memorial was staged at the crash site for about four months before it was torn down again.

“This last time the cross that was made was completely snapped and thrown to the side of the road for a big junk day pick up,” Kasey said.

Kasey said last week was the fourth time the memorial has been torn down.

“Dealing with the loss of my brother never gets easier and going out to that site never gets easier, especially every time we go out there something is missing, broken,” Kasey said.

The vandalism continues to happen near court dates in the case. There is a motion hearing scheduled for this Wednesday.

This is now being tried as a criminal case with the driver of the other car, Judy Todd, facing first degree manslaughter charges. Todd told officers at the time of the crash that she was on two prescription medications, hydrocodone and gabapentin. 

“He was struck by a DUI driver,” Kasey said.

Todd was arrested a few days after the crash and booked into Cleveland County.

Kasey and her family continue mourning Kolby’s loss, and questioning who continues to tear down Kolby’s memorial.

“Without him there's a missing space, there's a missing piece in our puzzle and there always will be,” Kolby said.

But instead of holding on to the horrible memory of Kolby’s crash, Kasey said she and her family will continue doing what they can to memorialize Kolby’s life.

“You can tear it down, you can continue to take all the things away, but it will be put back up every single time. We will never ever give up on my brother's legacy ever,” Kasey said.