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Spotsylvania resident Robert Coltrain, 27, has been sentenced in Virginia for his role in the death of Prince William County native Brian Trotter, whose remains were found in the trunk of a vehicle that crashed in Florida in 2020 after he had been reported missing, authorities announced.
Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth announced on Tuesday, July 11 that Coltrain was sentenced to 75 years in prison with 30 years suspended after pleading guilty to murder in June 2022.
Trotter was reported missing by his family on Oct. 17, 2020 after he was last seen getting into a vehicle with Coltrain to head to DC. The last thing he did before leaving was hugging and saying goodbye to his father at their home, prosecutors said.
Less than two weeks later, while police in Virginia were still investigating his disappearance, Florida Highway Patrol officers found a decomposing body in the trunk of a vehicle that was involved in a crash near the Miami-Dade area.
Trotter’s body was identified, and Coltrain, the driver involved in the crash, was arrested by the Miami-Dade Police Department until he could be returned to Prince William County to stand trial for the murder.
Coltrain was initially charged in Florida, but it is believed the murder happened in Prince William County and he was tried in Maryland.
“This was such a troubling case because of the lack of motive and the friendship that the victim and (Caltrain) shared,” Ashworth said. “My heart goes out to the Trotter family for the loss of their son.
“Although nothing will bring Brian back to his family, we can rest assured that justice has been served for his murder.”
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