ORLANDO, Fla. — A drunken driver killed two people 15 years ago and was charged with DUI manslaughter, but he's been on the run ever since.
Investigative reporter Daralene Jones uncovered disturbing details about how the system lost track of Patrick Lutts.
Nelida Leon cherishes the home videos she has from when her daughter, Nancy Lopez, was still alive.
"Maybe from up there she's saying, 'Mom, just leave it alone.' Some days it is hard for me to talk about," Leon said as she choked back tears. "He didn't even call to apologize or to say I'm sorry."
It was Christmas Day 1998 when the 25-year-old Lutts turned onto State Road 528 and plowed into Lopez and her boyfriend, killing both 19-year-olds.
In a report, state troopers described "the strong odor of alcohol," and Lutts' blood-alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit.
"I don't think he served one day in jail at all. That's what frustrates me," said Lopez's stepfather, Ralph Cordero.
Lutts was charged with DUI manslaughter three months after the fatal crash, but he had already left the state. A warrant with a $5,000 bond was issued, even though state law recommends twice as much for DUI manslaughter.
An All-Points Bulletin was also sent to Texas, where Lutts had ties.
9 Investigates reviewed the case with retired Chief Judge Belvin Perry who said, "Unfortunately, with the number of cases and the lack of good information flowing throughout the system, this can happen."
Lutts was finally arrested three years later after another crash in Connecticut. His blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit.
As a fugitive, he was shipped back to Orlando, but was allowed to post the original $5,000 bond. Records show Lutts then never showed up for court to sign a plea deal offered, which included a 10-year sentence.
"What they told us, we have to wait for him to make a mistake. Why can't they hunt him?" Cordero questioned.
The Orange County Sheriff's Office did not want to talk on camera for WFTV's report and for security reasons offered no details about how its 14 deputies search for fugitives. But records show the agency is working 27,000 active warrants, 19,000 being more than five years old.
Perry calls it a major public safety issue.
"That's like searching for a needle in a haystack. (It's) impossible for them to do an effective job with 14 people," Perry said.
The family is holding out hope that Lutts will be found.
“There is justice, and it's up there. If he doesn't get justice here, God's going to punish this guy,” Leon said.
WFTV
