Cutts cried on the stand during the trial as he told jurors he accidentally killed Jessie Davis by putting an elbow to her throat. He said he panicked and dumped her body in a park.
Prosecutors say Cutts strangled Davis over mounting child support.
The couple's young son was found home alone and gave investigators their first clues in the case. He told investigators "Mommy's in the rug," and "Daddy's mad."