SNOW HILL, Md. — Just a few months from now will mark three years since the death of 14-year-old Gavin Knupp.
The teen from Ocean Pines lost his life back in July 2022, following a hit and run crash in Berlin.
All along Gavin's family had a good idea of who was responsible, yet the road to justice has proven to be heartbreaking for all involved.
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Due to some investigative delays and court setbacks, the end result took longer than expected.
Early on in the investigation, detectives recovered the Mercedes sedan believed to be involved, however they needed more evidence to determine who was behind the wheel.
It took nearly a year to ultimately charge Tyler Allen Mailloux.
In August 2023, a Worcester County Circuit Court judge tossed the charges over being filed in the wrong venue.
Almost 10 months later the Maryland Court of Appeals overruled the judge and reinstated the charges.
Eventually Mailloux pleaded guilty to knowingly being in an accident resulting in death.
Late last month, Judge Brett Wilson, who initially tossed the case, sentenced Mailloux to a decade behind bars, suspending all but 18 months.
Gavin's sister wrote a lengthy post on Facebook Thursday saying "the Maryland judicial system failed my family."
Their father reacted by writing expletive remarks about Wilson on social media, while others in the community expressed outrage about the length of the sentence as well.
Upon completion of his sentence, Mailloux will serve three-years of supervised probation.
