Montana’s Supreme Court has upheld a lower court’s decision to throw out blood evidence against the driver charged in the death of 17-year-old Delaney Doherty, casting serious doubt over the prosecution’s ability to move forward in the case, KXLH News Helena reported. The ruling, issued Tuesday, affirmed the earlier finding by Gallatin County District Court Judge Andrew Breuner, who had ordered the evidence suppressed.

The Crash and Charges

Doherty died in a head-on collision on West Dry Creek Road near Manhattan, Montana. The other driver, Lilly LaRoque, was subsequently charged with vehicular homicide while under the influence. Toxicology results found THC and lorazepam in LaRoque’s blood at the time of the crash, and charging documents also indicated she was likely texting while driving.

LaRoque was taken into custody at the Gallatin County Detention Center in November 2023. She remained held there until June 2025, when a judge reduced her bond to $25,000 and she was released. Her trial had been scheduled to begin last summer but was placed on hold after the blood evidence was suppressed.

Suppression and the Appeal

The Gallatin County Attorney’s Office challenged the suppression ruling by appealing to the Montana Supreme Court, arguing the blood evidence should be admissible in the vehicular homicide case. The state’s highest court disagreed, upholding Judge Breuner’s decision.

With the toxicology evidence now excluded, the case against LaRoque faces a significantly steeper path forward. Prosecutors must determine whether remaining evidence is sufficient to proceed to trial or whether the charges require modification or dismissal. The family of Delaney Doherty has described the ruling as deeply painful, nearly three years after her death.

What Comes Next

The Gallatin County Attorney’s Office must now decide how to proceed without the blood evidence that formed the core of the DUI-related homicide charge. Whether prosecutors pursue trial on remaining grounds, negotiate a plea to lesser charges, or seek another legal avenue remains to be seen. No new trial date has been publicly announced.

The case has drawn attention to the legal thresholds required for blood draws in Montana criminal investigations and the consequences when those standards are not met. Criminal procedure disputes over evidence collection have increasingly shaped outcomes in serious felony cases across the state’s district courts.