A Kentucky man who was released on bail in a previous case just days before carjacking a truck while high and killing a high school cheerleader in a wrong-way crash has been sentenced.
Michael Jacob Dewitt, 31, was sentenced to more than 24 years in prison for the 2021 carjacking that killed Madelynn Troutt, 17. In October, he pleaded guilty to a federal charge of fatal carjacking.
According to local Fox affiliate WDRB, the killer apologized in court and told the Troutt family, “I have a debt to society.”
The victim’s mother, Marcie Troutt, responded to the apology.
“I have to say, after four years, this is something I didn’t expect to hear. I’m glad I heard it, and I hope he meant what he said. And I hope he does so that my daughter’s death is not in vain, and that he changes his life,” she said. “I want to. I do. I believe that my faith in God has helped me tremendously throughout this process. So, yes, I want to say that I believe he is sorry.
The events preceding the crash began on February 16, 2021, when Dewitt was arrested in Louisville and charged with receiving stolen property, public intoxication with a controlled substance, and other offenses. According to WDRB, he allegedly injured an officer while fleeing police in that case.
The local chapter of The Bail Project posted Dewitt’s $5,000 bond in that case, claiming he had a drug problem and agreed to seek rehabilitation.
He was released from custody on February 24, 2021.
Five days later, on March 1, 2021, Dewitt stole a 2011 Ford F350 from a resident at gunpoint and drove away. He crossed into opposing traffic lanes on Louisville’s Dixie Highway, fatally wounding Trout.
After the crash, he hit a pole and attempted to flee, but was apprehended by witnesses who detained him until police arrived.
Troutt’s family filed an unsuccessful lawsuit against The Bail Project. The Bail Project’s regional director, Matthew McFarland, spoke with local NBC affiliate WAVE about the decision. He told the station everything they knew about Dewitt’s previous drug-related cases.
“Hindsight is 20/20,” McFarland explained. “If we ever would have seen anything even close to something happening where someone was injured or hurt, we would not proceed with the bailout.”
Trout was a senior at Butler High School. Her family established a memorial scholarship at Bellarmine University, where she had been admitted and intended to study nursing. Her family also organized an annual golf scramble in her honor to raise money for the scholarship.
Dewitt, who has a criminal history dating back to 2012, is facing a state murder charge in this case.