NEED TO KNOW
- Kaylee Dutton was being sexually abused by her family friend Justin Driffill
- The 17-year-old was fatally shot by men who thought she was stalking them
- Two men have pleaded guilty to murder charges in her killing
A Utah man has admitted to sexually abusing a 17-year-old girl before the teen was fatally shot by strangers who thought she was stalking them.
The teen, identified by family members as Kaylee Dutton, was killed on Jan. 17, according to ABC 4, Cedar City News and KUTV.
She was killed moments after driving through the townhome community where her abuser Justin Driffill lived in Cedar City, per ABC 4 and Cedar City News.
Driffil, 27, was not charged in connection to Dutton’s death. On Wednesday, July 23, he pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual conduct with a 16-17-year-old , ABC 4 and Cedar City News reported.
Dutton’s family says they believe she would not have been killed if she was not being sexually abused by him.
“If it weren’t for that, I just, we all just truly believe that she wouldn’t have been in that neighborhood that night, and she would still be here,” her mother, Kimberlee Dutton, told ABC 4.
The investigation into Driffil began in October 2024 when Dutton, then 17, told her mother that Driffil was sexually engaging with her, per Cedar City News.
Kimberlee told officers that Kaylee opened up to her about a relationship with Driffil after she was let go from the job where she worked under Driffil.
The investigation revealed that Driffil and Kaylee were interacting on Snapchat, and Driffil admitted to police he was aware of her age at the time of their sexual encounters, per the outlet.
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The men charged in connection with Kaylee’s killing lived in the same apartment complex, Cedar City News reported, citing court documents.
Michael Hess-Witucki and Ethan Galloway pleaded guilty to murder charges in April, ABC 4, KSL and Iron County Today reported at the time.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
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