LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) honored the life of Det. Deidre Mengedoht Sunday, five years after she was killed in a fiery crash along I-64 on Christmas Eve.
In 2018, Mengedoht was conducting a traffic stop on I-64 when MSD driver Roger Burdette slammed his truck into the back of her cruiser.
Burdette was found to have been distracted watching porn and under the influence of pain medications. He was sentenced to 27 years in prison for murder.
Now, Mengedoht's legacy lives on.
"It's hard for everybody here," Lt. Col. Ryan Bates said. "Everybody cared about Deidre mentally. It's hard to see the impact on her family. Obviously, five years have passed but it's hard to tell that from seeing people's faces, and the impact, and the hurt that they still carry from this tragic event."
This year, Burdette's murder conviction was upheld by the Kentucky Supreme Court.
Burdette fought for a new trial, saying the court erred several times throughout the trial. However, in February, Kentucky's high court said none of the issues he raised mandate a reversal of the conviction and sentence.
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