Prison for man who tried to kill woman

MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) - A man who lured a woman into a Muskegon home and then assaulted her has been sentenced.

Douglas Fitzgibbon was sentenced to 14 to 40 years in prison for assault with intent to murder and 3 to 15 years for unlawful imprisonment. Those sentences will be served concurrently.

Muskegon police said that on Aug. 1, 2012, Fitzgibbon told a 26-year-old woman known for helping others that he needed help because his grandmother had fallen. She agreed to help the then 19-year-old even though he was a stranger.

Once inside a residence, Fitzgibbon forced the victim down the stairs, struck her, tied an electrical cord around her neck and threatened to kill her. But he left her alone for a moment, which gave the victim a chance to escape.

He was arrested at a nearby house a short time later.

Fitzgibbon pleaded guilty but mentally ill to those counts on Jan. 11. His trial was meant to start Jan. 15.