Cape Coral man to soon be sentenced for 2015 murder of girlfriend

His hearing was originally scheduled for February but was pushed back to April. In November, a Collier County jury found Zutten guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Grimshaw. Prosecutors say Zutten dumped Grimshaw’s body after the murder.

“As luck would have it, hikers came by and located her, otherwise your honor — we wouldn’t know what had happened to Ms. Grimshaw,” the state attorney’s office said during sentencing.

While Michael Zutten has already been convicted of killing Heather Grimshaw, his sentencing is still unknown. His fate may not be decided for another week.

When it comes to his sentencing, WINK News safety and security specialist Rich Kolko says the length of time Zutten spends behind bars depends on a few factors.

“The judge will request a pre-sentencing report, so he’ll learn more about this subject,” Kolko said. “What is his past? Criminal history? How did he act and behave during that time since he was arrested? A lot of that will come into play, but he’s looking at a minimum of 16 and three-quarters years for this case, but it can go all the way up to life in prison.”

On Friday, Grimshaw’s family admitted to WINK News that they want Zutten to spend the rest of his life in prison.

The state attorney’s office is pushing to get Grimshaw’s family what they want. “The state requests that he be sentenced to life in prison,” the lawyer said. He argued before a Collier County judge that Michael Zutten had no regard for Heather Grimshaw’s life.

But, unsurprisingly, Zutten’s attorney sees things very differently. She thinks two to three decades is enough time. “We’re asking for a minimum ranging 20 to 30 years— 21 years,” she said. On Friday, the state attorney and the defense made their sentencing arguments.