LIHU’E – Howard I. Giddens, the 27-year-old Hanama’ulu man charged with felony murder and two counts of attempted murder stemming from a shooting spree last month in Hanama’ulu, entered a plea of not guilty Tuesday in Circuit Court. In a
LIHU’E – Howard I. Giddens, the 27-year-old Hanama’ulu man charged with felony
murder and two counts of attempted murder stemming from a shooting spree last
month in Hanama’ulu, entered a plea of not guilty Tuesday in Circuit
Court.
In a rampage that ended when he was trapped inside a house on
Ho’ohana Street and surrendered to police, Giddens allegedly shotgunned Colan
Fernandes, 42, to death and also wounded Nelson Cuba Jr., 49.
Further court
motions are expected in the matter before Giddens goes to trial. But the
shackled and manacled defendant won’t be arriving by car any more from Kaua`i
Community Correctional Center in Wailua.
Giddens, who has been held at the
Wailua facility in lieu of $500,000 bail, is being moved to Oahu Community
Corrrectional Center near Honolulu.
Neal Wagatsuma, warden of the Kaua`i
center, said Giddens would be flown in for his court appearances here from now
on.
“He is being moved because it is more appropriate for him,” Wagatsuma
said, declining to elaborate on why Giddens is being jailed at the Oahu
brig.
Other authorities speculated that Giddens was being moved to avoid
any violent incidents between he and other inmates.
At a previous court
hearing, Giddens yelled at Cuba during the victim’s testimony. Giddens also
muttered when other witnesses testified about his behavior on the day of the
shootings.
Staff writer Dennis Wilken can be reached at 245-3681 (ext.
252) and [dwilken@pulitzer.net]
Staff photo by Dennis Fujimoto
