Corpus Christi, TX: Jury begins deliberating in Spanutius murder trial Man accused of killing woman says she passed out, died in a headlock

By Elaine Marsilio

Originally published 12:33 p.m., February 25, 2010
Updated 02:01 a.m., February 26, 2010

CORPUS CHRISTI — A man accused of killing a Coast Guard aviation mechanic told jurors Thursday he put her in a headlock to settle her down during a fight, but ended up killing her.

“I wanted her to calm down. I wanted this to stop,” said Micah Spanutius, who is being tried in the May 31, 2008, death of Amy Ignatowski.

Jurors deliberated about three hours Thursday and will continue deliberations today. In addition to a charge of murder, jurors also are considering the lesser charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.

Spanutius testified he first met Ignatowski hours before her death while she was sitting alone at a bar, which was near her apartment. He said the two later hung out with some of her friends there.

When the bar was closing, Spanutius said he couldn’t find a ride home and Ignatowski asked if he wanted to walk with her. The two then sat on the grass near her apartment and he used her cell phone to call a friend for a ride, but the friend didn’t answer, he said.

Spanutius said later helped Ignatowski open her front door because she was too drunk to do so and went inside with her. They kissed and began a sexual encounter, he said. But, Ignatowski kicked him out when he said he became forceful.

Spanutius, who repeatedly testified that he was drunk that night, said he accepted her decision and left. Then he said he realized that he had her cell phone and he had misplaced his iPod.

He said he was using the light from her phone to look for the iPod outside when Ignatowski came out and they struggled. At some point, Spanutius said Ignatowski hit him across the face.

Prosecutor Mike Gordon questioned how Ignatowski hit Spanutius if she was, as he said, too drunk to open her front door.

“It doesn’t take much to throw an arm,” Spanutius replied.

Spanutius said the two fell to the ground during the struggle, and he had her in a headlock for what felt like two minutes until she passed out.

He dragged her into her living room, he testified, and that’s when he realized he may have killed her.

He said he cleaned her hands and wrists and the doorknobs and threw her purse into the fireplace. He said he was drunk at the time and wasn’t thinking clearly.

“I was in complete disarray,” he said.

He left and threw her phone in a bush.

“It was a hazy, chaotic situation.” he later said.

During closing arguments, Gordon reminded jurors that a witness testified Spanutius didn’t want to turn himself in because he had dreams and goals.

“Amy’s hopes, dreams, plans — they are gone,” he said.

At that point, Ignatowski’s parents walked out of the courtroom with at least one of them in tears. They came back shortly after.

Spanutius’ attorney John Gilmore told jurors his client isn’t a coldblooded killer. He is a kid who made a mistake, he said.

“He did not intend for this to happen,” Gilmore said.