$5 Million Awarded to Parents in Son’s Slaying

The parents of an Orange County man who was shot to death by an acquaintance in late 1995 have won $5 million in a wrongful death case filed after the killer was acquitted of criminal charges.

“We are just extremely happy and gratified,” said Dave Wilk, the stepfather of Tyler Hutchison, who grew up in San Clemente and died in San Luis Obispo at the age of 26.

Hutchison was founder of a Newport Beach in-line skating goods company called Boulderblades Inc. On the night he died, he had gone to San Luis Obispo on a business trip and spent the evening with Mark Westwick, whom he had known since college.

After a night of drinking and telephoning friends, according to testimony, Westwick shot Hutchison in the head. He wrapped the body in a sleeping bag, which he hid in the basement, drove Westwick’s car to Inglewood, took a cab to Oxnard and called his mother, who picked him up and drove him back to San Luis Obispo.

Not until two days after the shooting did Westwick report it to police.

Westwick, who was charged with murder, testified during a nine-week trial in 1997 that the shooting had been an accident and that, confused, he had been trying to tell Hutchison’s grandparents in Dana Point of the death before informing authorities. He was acquitted.

But Hutchison’s parents felt that justice had not been done and filed a lawsuit in 1997.

Under the civil judgment, decided by a jury in San Luis Obispo Superior Court Wednesday, Hutchison’s parents--William Hutchison of Bullhead City, Ariz., and Terryle Wilk of Solvang, will receive $3 million for the wrongful infliction of death and $2 million for emotional distress caused by the delay in reporting the death.