Statement from The White Family on the Final Verdict in the Magnus White Case

April 5, 2025

BOULDER, CO /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – Today, a jury found the driver responsible for the crash that claimed the life of our son, 17-year-old Magnus White, guilty of felony vehicular homicide. We extend our deepest gratitude to the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office for its diligence in bringing this case to trial, as well as to the many individuals and organizations who have supported our family and honored his memory throughout this difficult process.

Remembering Magnus

It’s been over 20 months since we last saw our son, heard his voice, and hugged and kissed him goodbye. Before we further address the verdict we want to start with Magnus, because it’s his life and his future that was stolen.

Our son Magnus knew he wanted to become a professional cyclist when he was in the sixth grade. It’s rare for someone so young to know what they want to be and be so dedicated to it. He didn’t just ride bikes, the bike was an extension of him. Watching him ride, you couldn’t tell where Magnus ended and the bike began. He was always at the front of every race. He was a natural leader on and off the course. He became a national champion. He earned multiple spots on the US National Cycling Team. He raced in two world championships, getting ready to race his third. He was on the verge of signing a professional contract with a UK-based cycling team.

And yet, Magnus was still just a teenager. He loved his friends. He loved cars. He loved driving his car. He’d stretch his curfew by a few minutes on the weekends. All this, while he maintained a 4.2 GPA. And as we learned after his passing, more than a dozen people called him their best friend.

The verdict and its implications

Today, the jury found the driver guilty of felony vehicular homicide for killing our 17-year-old son. This conviction is a small step toward accountability. Sentencing is scheduled for June 13, 2025. Whatever sentence this driver receives will fall somewhere between two and six years. It’s not mandatory however. She may never spend a single day in prison.

This verdict acknowledges what we have known all along. Magnus’ death was not an accident, it was a crime. On July 29th, 2023, the driver made a series of choices. She stayed up all night. She took prescription drugs. She drank half a bottle of whiskey well into the next morning. And then she got behind the wheel of her car.

Video footage seized from the driver’s phone from the morning of the crash shows the driver drinking whiskey at 6 a.m., with visible lines of cocaine nearby. Text messages that morning reveal she was seeking more cocaine presumably to “wake herself up.” Despite this, the court barred the jury from hearing any evidence about cocaine use. At the scene, the driver blamed her car. She continued to lie for months, to police and to investigators, about her drinking, her prescriptions, and what happened that morning. That pattern of deception continued into the trial when it was revealed she lied about being a Ukrainian Refugee.

Make no mistake, that driver killed Magnus. But the trial also revealed something else, a systemic failure by those whose job it is to protect the public.

A systematic failure

Throughout the trial, evidence brought to light several systemic failures. Three agencies responded to the crash that day, the City Police, the County Sheriff, and the State Patrol. The agency with jurisdiction arrived last, and they were critically understaffed with just one officer on the scene. The driver was allowed to take crucial evidence from her car, including her cell phone. Multiple protocols were not followed when someone is killed by a driver.

There were eyewitnesses who said the driver had been swerving onto the shoulder multiple times before hitting Magnus. There were eyewitnesses, including officers, who described her demeanor afterward as flat, emotionless, strange, and highly unusual. And yet, not a single officer requested a sobriety test or a blood draw. They took the driver’s word. Critical evidence was lost forever. The driver was never drug tested, but Magnus was.

This verdict says more about the system than it does about the crime. The driver’s actions weren’t a mistake, they were a series of deliberate choices. Magnus deserved a full investigation of the truth. He deserved to have every possibility pursued and discussed, not ignored. And while today’s verdict acknowledges a level of recklessness, it can’t undo the consequences of a system that failed to do its job from the start.

Our commitment to change
Sadly we’ve learned that we are not alone, through countless families we’ve met. This happens countless times everyday across the country and that needs to change. We’re speaking out because our family has experienced a loss that no one should ever have to endure, and because silence allows it to keep happening to others. Every failure we ignore puts another life at risk. Our goal is to drive conversations and push for real action. Laws must evolve. Protocols must be strengthened. Law enforcement training must reflect the gravity of what’s at stake. A mandatory blood draw must be the standard, not the option, in all fatal and serious injury crashes

To those who have stood by us in our grief and fight for accountability, we thank you. Please continue to walk with us, speak Magnus’ name, and stand with every family whose loved one was stolen from them by a reckless or careless driver.

We will never stop missing our Magnus, and we will never stop fighting for him.

– Jill & Michael White

To learn more about THE WHITE LINE, its initiatives, or how to support the cause, visit thewhiteline.org

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About The White Line
Our mission is clear: honor Magnus White’s legacy by changing driver behavior through real stories, hard data and lifesaving technology.

People are dying now, and we need to act now. No apologies. No more stolen lives. No more shattered families. We’re committed to making the roads safer today.

For media inquiries or further information, please contact:
Natalie Rizk
The White Line
media@thewhiteline.org