They convicted the founder of a successful clothing brand who confessed to the crime of his 18-year-old girlfriend

The co-founder of clothing brand Salt Life pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the 2020 manslaughter of his 18-year-old girlfriend.

Michel Troy Huttonow aged 56, shot dead Lora Grace Duncan18, in October 2020, and later told authorities it was an accident, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by various US media outlets.

The magazine People clarified that Duncan killed by a single bullet to the stomach. It was her father who discovered the body, already decomposing, on October 29 in a room at the Hilton Singer Island beachfront resort after her cellphone was located there. The room was registered in the name of Hutto, who Duncan’s father said was romantically involved with his daughter.

Hutto was not present in the room at the time of the discovery, but he had forgotten his ID and your wallet.

Authorities learned a day earlier that the suspect was taken to a Jacksonville hospital after police found him in an illegally parked car outside a gas station in St. Augustine. According to the affidavit, Hutto was found “shaking, making delirious comments and crying as his eyes rolled to the back of his head”.

The outlet explained that the statement clarifies that Hutto told detectives that he and the young woman were heading to the Florida Keys to visit some of their friends, but stopped at the Hilton.

At the hospital, the suspect reportedly told police: “God, I think I hurt my Gracie,” then she started crying.

He later revealed that they “played inside the hotel room like they were shooting their finger and a gun.” He then confessed that Duncan was sitting in the bathroom when he pointed the gun at her and fired.

Hutto said he then placed the gun in his Adidas backpack, jumped into his green Dodge and drove away, driving until he ran out of gas.

The New York Post said Duncan’s father claimed Hutto had been harassing his teenage daughter with drugs and kept her sedated.

After pleading guilty to one count of manslaughter with a firearm, Hutto was immediately sentenced to 12 years in prison, with a credit of 79 days served.

Hutto founded the Salt Life clothing brand with several Jacksonville-area friends in 2003. The company’s clientele consists primarily of those who enjoy sailing, surfing and fishing. The company’s stickers are often seen on car windows.

At the time of Hutto’s arrest, the company noted on its Facebook page that the man had sold his share of the business in 2013 and was no longer affiliated with the brand.

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