A cofounder of the popular apparel brand Salt Life pled guilty to charges of fatally shooting his teenaged girlfriend. Last week, Michael Hutto, 56, accepted responsibility for the death of 18-year-old Lora Grace Duncan, who was found dead at an oceanfront resort in October 2020.
According to court records, the two were consensually dating, and Hutto claimed the death was an accident.
According to People, Hutto told officials that the shooting occurred when the firearm discharged while they were playing around in the hotel. Detectives said Hutto told them he and Duncan were "playing inside of the hotel room as if they were shooting with their finger and a gun."
Hutto, who was holding a real gun, accidentally shot Duncan in the stomach.
According to People, Duncan’s body was found by her father after he traced her cellphone to a hotel room at the Hilton Singer Island resort.
The room was registered under Hutto’s name, but he had left the scene at least a day prior.
Hutto was one of a group of friends who cofounded Salt Life together. The brand is popular in tropical areas and worn by individuals who enjoy boating, fishing, and surfing.
The company noted in a statement that Hutto sold his share of the business back in 2013 and was no longer affiliated with the brand.
