What to Know
Brent White’s life changed in the worst possible way on April 13, 2025. His wife, Katie White, ran over Brent White’s 11-year-old son, Mattix, near South 47th Street and West Poplar Street in Rogers, Arkansas. Before emergency responders arrived, Katie White, 26, attempted to revive Mattix with chest compressions, but it was too late.
Sadly, the young boy died. His stepmother will spend the next four years in prison for her role in his death.
Katie White shared her story with police.
According to a probable cause statement obtained by Law & Crime, police arrived on the scene around 8 p.m. the night of the accident. Katie White told officers from the Rogers Police Department that she worked for a company that cleaned a car dealership nearby.
On the night Mattix died, she took her children to the dealership to let a coworker in. After unlocking the door and going inside with her children, Katie White said she got back in the car and quickly realized one of the children was left behind. She immediately went back for the child.
The child was upset, and Mattix apparently wanted to help.
Katie White said that Mattix voluntarily got out of the car to show the other child he would never be left behind. Katie White allowed Mattix to run beside the car as she drove for about 280 feet.
At some point, Mattix grabbed the door handle unbeknownst to his stepmother, and that’s when tragedy struck. Katie White ran over Mattix with the back wheels of her vehicle.
Mattix’s death changed everything for the family.
Per the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Brent White and Katie White divorced after Mattix’s death. According to his obituary, Mattix “Loved his family and friends deeply, he was kind to everyone he met, and he had the biggest heart. Mattix loved superheroes, and to those who knew him, Mattix was a real-life superhero. He was funny, brave, strong, thoughtful, silly, and always looking out for the people around him. Mattix’s superpower was his gift for making others smile, and the world was better simply because he was in it,” the obituary reads.
“Even in his final moments, Mattix found a way to be a hero. Through the selfless gift of organ donation, he saved the lives of other children—becoming a true superhero in every sense of the word. His courage and compassion will live on in the hearts of those he helped, and in the lives of all who knew him.”
Katie White will spend four years in prison.
The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported Katie White pleaded guilty to negligent homicide, aggravated assault of a family member, and endangering the welfare of a child charges. A judge sentenced her to four years in prison.
Per the outlet, Judge Robin Green asked Brent White if the plea agreement made him happy. The devastated father answered, “Ma’am, I’m never going to be happy. I lost my son.”
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