DENVER — The man who was hit and killed by a Frontier jet at Denver International Airport on Friday died by suicide, an official from the Denver medical examiner's office said Tuesday.
The man was identified as 41-year-old Michael Mott, of Pueblo, Denver's chief medical examiner, Dr. Sterling McLaren announced at a briefing on Tuesday. The cause of death was multiple sharp and blunt force injuries from the plane's engine, she said.
It’s unclear what, if any, connection Mott had with the airport or what evidence Dr. McLaren examined to determine the manner of death.
► Watch Allie Jennerjahn's report in the video player below:
Denver Chief of Police Ron Thomas said that the man had had previous contact with law enforcement in the metro area. Records show a lengthy criminal history in Colorado dating back to 2003, with convictions ranging from trespassing to assault. He was sentenced to six years in the Department of Corrections for felony assault in 2005.
Thomas issued a call to action at the briefing, asking anyone who knew Mott or may have been in contact with him to reach out to DPD as they work to learn more and search for any notes he may have left behind. No vehicles or bikes have been found in the area, according to officials.
The incident has also raised security concerns. Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington said the man jumped an 8-foot fence topped with barbed wire and was struck by the jet just two minutes later.
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DIA runway death prompts security, safety questions
"The location of the incident is about two miles away from the terminal," he said. "Given the short time period, we were not able to intervene and prevent this person from reaching the runway."
However, Dave Riley, a retired air traffic controller, believes more could have been done to prevent the incident.
"The controller did not have to issue a takeoff clearance," Riley said. "He could have just said, 'You know, hold your position,' and explained to the crews that,'We have a situation going on, I’ll get back to you in a second.’"
Washington said the airport has a layered security approach and has received "perfect scores" on multiple FAA safety inspections, adding that the airport's perimeter fencing meets TSA regulatory guidance.
Motion detectors on the fence identified a herd of deer just outside the fence in the same area, which initially caused security crews to miss the man jumping the fence, according to Washington.
"The camera view was alternating between the wildlife and the individual; there are some ditches in the area, so the person was out of view for a bit as well," he said. "And then just minutes later, we were alerted by the FAA of the person being hit."
After the incident, he said the fence was still intact.
He said the airport's layered approach to perimeter security — which includes technology, fence inspections, patrols, and other tools — has worked in the past, but that "we will look to see what improvements we will make."
"After significant events or incidents such as this, or even incidents that do not rise to this, we conduct after-action reviews to identify areas for improvement, and we will do that here as well," he said.
Washington added that the airport has had other people jump the fence before and that all of them were "apprehended very quickly."
Washington also praised Frontier crews during the briefing.
"The actions of the Frontier pilot and crew were exceptional, and this could have been far worse, so we are indebted to their professionalism,” he said.
► Watch the full press conference
The incident has been investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board, Denver Police, the Transportation Security Administration, and the FAA, which is assisting, according to Washington.
Twelve people were injured during the incident, and five were hospitalized. Washington said he believes those injuries occurred during the evacuation and said four of those people have since been released. He said the condition of the person still in the hospital is unknown.
Denver7 asked Riley whether the way the passengers were evacuated on the right side of the plane, where the collision happened, was appropriate.
"I would question them evacuating on that side of the aircraft knowing that, one, there was a fire, even if it was extinguished," Riley said. "Later video, I did see that they moved all of the passengers to the left side of the aircraft, and the firefighting vehicles sprayed foam on that engine. So, obviously, there was still a concern of a fire on that side."
"I want to take a moment to acknowledge that the news of this nature can be very painful for the decedent's family, for witnesses, and for any members of our community. If you or someone you know is struggling, there's free and confidential support available by calling or texting 988, which is Colorado's mental health helpline," McLaren said.
A lengthy criminal history
Denver7 Investigates dug into Mott's past and obtained documents that showed multiple violent crimes and competency issues.
Mott had a rap sheet that dated back 20 years with charges ranging from burglary to trespassing to violent crime. He had been ruled mentally incompetent to stand trial on multiple occasions dating back to 2019. He also served prison time after being convicted of an assault causing serious bodily injury roughly 20 years ago.
His two most recent run-ins with the law came in Colorado Springs, where police said he was homeless.
► Watch Jennifer Kovaleski's report in the video player below:
Last month, he was arrested for attempting to break into a motel room. According to the arrest affidavit, Mott told police he had an “intuitive feeling that something was wrong” with the person in the room.
El Paso County court records show Mott had already been placed in an outpatient mental health restoration program after a judge ruled he was incompetent to proceed in a court case in July 2025. In that case, he was accused of assault after he allegedly put out a cigarette on a person unprovoked.
Denver7 Investigates has requested court documents from past cases in other jurisdictions and is still waiting to obtain those records.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, you can dial 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 24/7, visit Colorado Crisis Services, or click here for a list of resources in Colorado.
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