HOLLAND, Mich. (WOOD) — A man has been found guilty of suffocating a Holland woman to death in December 2021.
Enrique Estrada III was convicted Thursday of first-degree murder.
He was arrested following the death of 25-year-old Katherine Rutgers, who was found dead in her Holland apartment on the day after Christmas 2021.
Estrada was the first to call the police around 2 a.m. that day, saying he had been locked out of the apartment. There was no answer at the door when an officer knocked, so the officer and Estrada left. Rutgers’ mother discovered her about 19 hours later when she went to check on her.
Court records say Estrada ultimately admitted to smothering Rutgers with a kitchen towel while her 2-year-old daughter was in another room. He told investigators where to find the towel.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 10. First-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison.