PALM BAY, Fla. – Palm Bay is gearing up for its local elections, with a mayoral and three city council seats on the line this year.
However, one of the candidates for Seat 3 on the city council has a morbid past: he’s a convicted killer.
That candidate — Michael Bruyette — was convicted of second-degree murder in Massachusetts back in 1986, according to the state’s records.
The Murder Explained
During that case, the records show that a woman — identified as Lisa Grimshaw — told Bruyette and two other men that she had been abused by her husband.
Grimshaw reportedly persuaded Bruyette and the other men to kill her husband, stating he had a $300,000 life insurance policy that she would share with them if they helped in the murder.
State officials said Grimshaw drove Bruyette and one of the others to a boat launch area, where they hid while Grimshaw lured her husband out to the car with a promise of sex.
Bruyette then struck the husband repeatedly with a baseball bat and took his wallet, and the two men left his body by the river bank before fleeing the scene, investigators added.
“Later that night, they cleaned the car and stayed at Ms. Grimshaw’s apartment, where Bruyette and Grimshaw slept together,” a case statement reads.
Ultimately, Bruyette was arrested and pleaded guilty to both second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. He received a life sentence for the murder charge and a 7- to 10-year sentence for the conspiracy charge, which was set to run at the end of his life sentence.
Getting Parole
Due to the parole rules at the time, Bruyette became eligible for parole in August 2002, though he was initially denied, state records indicate.
He was granted parole in 2007 and released in 2009, going on to live with his father and stepmother in Palm Bay, a parole board announced.
“Bruyette took positive steps while on parole that included obtaining full-time employment with the City of Palm Bay in their maintenance department and reporting that he had an internship with the City’s wastewater management plant,” Bruyette’s parole history reads.
However, that changed in 2011.
Parole Revocation
In an arrest report, Palm Bay police said they responded to a local home over reports of a domestic violence situation.
Upon arrival, they found that Bruyette had gotten into an argument with the victim, resulting in him punching the wall and saying, “I’m going to kill you,” the report states.
Bruyette was arrested on charges of battery and assault, though he was ultimately acquitted, court records show.
Despite the acquittal, his parole was revoked due to his conduct, which Massachusetts state officials said included:
- Irresponsible Conduct — Bruyette verbally threatened to kill the victim and punched a wall in anger.
- Association with a person with a known criminal record
- Violation of a liquor abstinence condition — A photograph showed him holding a bottle of beer, and testimony indicated that he “drinks every day.”
As a result of the case, Bruyette was returned to Massachusetts as a parole violator, according to state records.
Return to Florida
After returning to prison, Bruyette appealed the parole revocation in 2014, citing his good behavior and attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous, the appeal document shows.
Despite that, the appeal was denied, and it’s unclear when he was eventually allowed to return to Florida.
And now, he’s running for Seat 3 on the Palm Bay City Council.
“I want this seat because nobody is doing anything here,” Bruyette said.
He spoke with News 6 on Thursday, explaining his plans if he gets elected.
“I know what this city needs: we have nothing here for the kids...” he explained. “The Compound which is about 25 minutes away, and there’s high crime. We need an auxiliary station. We need more officers. We need a lot in this city.”
Explaining His Past — and Looking Ahead
While discussing his background with News 6, Bruyette said much of the public information out there is skewed by prosecutors.
“A woman being repeatedly raped, beaten, and I intervened...” he said. “I’m not one that’s gonna stand around and watch someone be victimized like that.”
He also claimed that he didn’t mean to kill Grimshaw’s husband.
“It wasn’t even my intention to kill him. I was going to put him in the hospital,” he said. “That’s definitely my intention, but when I swung, his head went down, and I caught him in the head.”
Since then, he’s had time to reflect on what happened.
“I kind of regret getting involved because it cost me a lot of my life, and it cost a lot of judgment,” he said. “That’s something that I can’t put away. You’re just going to have to trust me — let me earn your trust.”
He stated that now that he’s older, he has better judgment. And now, he aims to help the city of Palm Bay.
Even though he’s still on parole, he said he was given the “thumbs up” to run in the election.
“It’s certainly an opportunity to show people that I have changed, but it’s not the reason why (I’m running). I am passionate about this. I love this city,” he told News 6.
According to Bruyette, the main issues he’s running on are public accountability among local leaders, affordable housing, and crime.
“I know what this city needs: we have nothing here for the kids...” he explained. “The Compound, which is about 25 minutes away, and there’s high crime. We need an auxiliary station. We need more officers. We need a lot in this city.”
The primary election is scheduled for Aug. 20. Meanwhile, the general election is scheduled for Nov. 5.
For more information on the city’s elections this year, click here.
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