22-year-old Tyler Mailloux charged in the death of Gavin Knupp
BERLIN, Md. – A break in the case of 14-year-old Gavin Knupp’s death.
22-year-old Tyler Mailloux was charged in the Grays Corner Road hit and run in July 2022 following months of outcries from the public, demanding justice for Gavin. 17 charges were filed but they may not be what you expected. Mailloux faces traffic-related charges like failure to immediately stop a vehicle at the scene of an accident involving death.
Last October, Maryland State Police told 47 ABC they believed alcohol was a factor in the crash, however, no charges filed against Mailloux were related to alcohol. While the State’s Attorney couldn’t comment on the case, we asked Salisbury Defense Attorney Luke Rommel why they might not file any alcohol-related charges. “I think the state has incentive to be able to charge what it thinks it can prove and in a case like this they want to be extra careful that the evidence supports the charges,” Luke Rommel with Rommel and Associates said.
We also asked Rommel if additional charges could be filed against other parties possibly involved in the case, “if a felony is being charged, that can be charged now or it can be changed later, a lot of charges are within 3 years or within 1 year, both of those would be within the statute of limitations,” Rommel said.
The Knupp family released a statement Monday thanking the State’s Attorney and her team for their work in filing the charges saying:
“We are immensely grateful to Kris Heiser and her team for the diligence and hard work that led to the filing of these criminal charges against the defendant Tyler Mailloux. We also again want to express our appreciation to our family, friends and the entire community for their love and support. We will forever be grateful for the strength you have given us to keep fighting and we have only just begun.
This presents an important step towards accountability for Gavin’s death, but it is just a step in that direction. Let there be no confusion – we will not rest until that process is completed, both through this criminal prosecution in addition to pursuing any and all available civil remedies.”
If convicted on all charges, Mailloux could face up to 42 years and 8 months behind bars.
On Grays Corner Road, community members have raised safety concerns about this roadway. Shortly after Knupp’s death there was another hit-and-run on Gray’s Corner.
Senator Mary Beth Carozza has been an advocate for the area, working with the State Highway Administration to improve safety. “Some additional lighting to supplement on Grays Corner Road but the real major improvement was lowering the speed limit from 50 miles an hour to 40 miles an hour along the stretch from 589 up until Glen Riddle,” Senator Mary Beth Carozza said.
Senator Carozza tells us since the safety upgrades were made – they’ve already seen improvements in the area. Senator Carozza says they’ve worked with local law enforcement on these changes.
