LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Kentucky Supreme Court has upheld the conviction of the man who killed a Louisville Metro Police detective in a fiery crash on Christmas Eve 2018.
Roger Burdette appealed his murder sentence, asking for a new trial, claiming his trial wasn't fair because evidence was allowed that shouldn't have been admitted
But the state supreme court unanimously agreed with Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
"While we know the Kentucky Supreme Court's ruling does not diminish the pain of this loss, we hope the victim's family is comforted by the court's decision to uphold Burdette's conviction," Cameron said in a news release Tuesday. "Ensuring justice is served by defending convictions and sentences is an important part of our work to support crime victims and their families."
LMPD Detective Deidre Mengedoht died on Christmas Eve in 2018 when Burdette crashed his tanker truck into her car.
Louisville Metro Police Det. Deidre Mengedoht.
Mengedoht was conducting a traffic stop on Interstate 64, under the Belvedere, and had her lights activated when she was hit. The car burst into flames, and Mengedoht died at the scene.
Burdette was driving under the influence of controlled substances and was streaming pornography at the time of the crash. He was indicted by a grand jury in Jefferson County in 2019 for murder, wanton endangerment, operating a motor vehicle under the influence and failure to give right-of-way to a stopped emergency vehicle. He was later convicted on all counts and sentenced to 27 years in prison.
To read the court's ruling in full, click here.
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