Teen Accused In Deadly Hit & Run Hopes The Real Killer Is Found
LONGMONT, Colo. (CBS4)- A teenager who spent a week in jail on charges that she struck and killed another teen said she hopes the real killer is found.
Charges against Kendra Balentine have been dropped.
She was arrested in January in the hit and run death of Jason Grimmer.
Balentine, her pastor, her mother and a handful of church members maintained that she was at church attending a New Year's Eve party when the crash happened.
Police said the investigation, forensic analysis, evidence by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and a detailed inspection of the Chevy Cavalier belonging to Balentine, 18, shows her vehicle was not involved.
She remains worried the false accusations will forever tarnish her name.
"Everywhere I went I always got some funny face and someone would always say something really mean or really rude to me," said Balentine.
Police said the investigation did reveal that the teen and her vehicle were involved in an unrelated hit and run on Dec. 30, 2012. That is consistent with the story she had previously told CBS4.
Right now police do not have any leads as to who may have struck and killed Jason Grimmer.
Grimmer's father, Ryan Grimmer, said with each passing day he fears his son's killer is slipping away.
"If they caught that person that would be great. The whole nine yards. I mean, like I said, a lot of time has lapsed and it's probably not going to happen," said Grimmer, who lives in Illinois.
Police said they still need help identifying the person responsible for the deadly hit and run on New Year's Eve.
Investigators said they are continuing to review video footage and canvass repair shops in hopes of identifying the suspect vehicle or determining a better description of the suspect vehicle that struck Grimmer.
Police are asking anyone who may have seen the accident or anyone who was in the area of Longmont's Main Street at 10 p.m. Dec. 31, 2012 to call Det. Stacey Graham at 303-774-4392.
