In October 2020, Michael Hutto, Salt Life co-founder, a popular beachwear clothing brand, walked to a service station near St. Augustine, Florida, and said he needed help. His eyes were rolling back in his head, he was crying, twitching, and making delusional statements, witnesses said.
About three years later, in February 2023, Hutto was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his girlfriend, Grace Duncan’s murder, WPTV reported. Salt Life confirmed that Hutto, who was 56 when he was sentenced, had long since sold his stake in the company. After he showed up at that St. Augustine gas station in 2020, Hutto was arrested and taken to a Jacksonville area hospital. While there, Hutto said, with tears in his eyes, “Oh my God, I think I hurt my Gracie,” according to a police affidavit.
Grace Duncan was just 18 years old
Michael Hutto, a married father, met Grace Duncan at a gym where he had physical therapy following an ATV accident. Those close to the couple said Hutto seemed to love Duncan, despite their significant age difference, USA Today reported. Duncan’s parents, however, were naturally concerned about their daughter’s new, much older boyfriend.
Before she died, Duncan’s parents reported their daughter missing when she told them, via text, that she was traveling with Hutto to meet business associates of his, and possibly start a company. Duncan contacted her parents, but they said she sounded strange and suspected she might be on drugs. In late October 2020, Duncan’s dad hadn’t heard from Grace for several days, so he requested a welfare check. Her cell phone was used to determine her location, a Hilton hotel in Singer Island, Florida.
Grace Duncan had a gunshot wound to her stomach
When police arrived at the Florida Hilton room, they found Grace Duncan dead from a single gunshot wound in her stomach on the bathroom floor. Hutto’s ID and other personal items were still there, including his wallet, but he was nowhere to be found. By the time Duncan’s body was discovered, he had already been arrested miles away and taken to a Jacksonville hospital.
Hutto later told the police he and Duncan had spent time on the beach before they returned to their hotel room, where he pulled out the gun. At first, he said, it was a game, as he pointed the gun at Duncan and she pointed her fingers back at him. The gun then went off accidentally, hitting Duncan and killing her, Hutto said.
Why Hutto was carrying a firearm in the first place was never explained. Marijuana was found in Hutto and Duncan’s room, and Hutto may have been under the influence of drugs and alcohol when the shooting happened, according to his defense attorney.
Michael Hutto pleaded guilty to manslaughter
After shooting Grace Duncan, Michael Hutto said he took the gun and drove away, driving as far as he could until he ran out of gas. Once arrested, Hutto pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 12 years in prison with credit for time served. “This was an accident. A stupid, tragic, heartbreaking accident that basically ruined two families,” defense attorney, Donnie Murrell Jr. said when Hutto’s sentence was announced.