Eleven months and three days from the day he fatally burned his wife, Gregory Manuel Aguiar, 50, was sentenced Thursday to life in prison. Aguiar threw cleaning fluid on his wife, Miulan Aguiar, 39, and then set her afire on
Eleven months and three days from the day he fatally burned his wife, Gregory Manuel Aguiar, 50, was sentenced Thursday to life in prison.
Aguiar threw cleaning fluid on his wife, Miulan Aguiar, 39, and then set her afire on March 12, 2000, near their ‘Ele’ele home.
Burned over 70 percent of her body, she lived for almost three weeks in a Honolulu hospital before she died.
Aguiar pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree murder earlier this year, and Thursday morning he was sentenced by Fifth Circuit Court Judge Clifford Nakea.
But before Nakea passed sentence on the scrawny defendant, who was chained and wearing an orange, jail jumpsuit, Aguiar and then the family of his victim addressed the court.
“I’m sorry for what I did. I’m sorry for all I’ve done to the family,” Aguiar said, before bowing his head.
“Given the type of act that was committed, several members of the victim’s family would like to address the court,” Kaua’i County Prosecuting Attorney Mike Soong said.
Melissa Rivera, the victim’s sister, spoke first.
“Greg, you took away my sister,” she said. “There are no words to express how I feel. What you have done is so inhuman. You have scarred your children. You told me, ‘I love your sister so much.’ What happened?”
“I don’t hate you,” Rivera continued. “I just feel so sad for what happened. You will be punished today, not judged. Judging comes later, not on this earth. I love her (Miulan) so much. Not one second goes by when she’s not in my mind. I miss her so much.”
Rivera was in tears when she concluded, as were at least half the people in the crowded courtroom.
Chas Fu, the victim’s son from a previous relationship, tried to talk, but was overcome by emotion.
“I miss my mom,” the young man said, then stopped, unable to continue.
Kevin Glick, the victim’s employer, also spoke.
“I can’t say I hate you, Greg. I just feel pity for you. I don’t believe you meant to kill her. I believe you meant to make her suffer,” Glick said.
Glick added that even in the hospital, while she was dying, Miulan Aguiar was kindly.
“She never said anything bad about you,” Glick told Aguiar.
Due to the nature of Aguiar’s guilty plea, Nakea had only one sentencing option: Life with the possibility of parole, and he imposed that. Parole will be determined later, if ever, by the state parole board.
“You’ve heard the consequences of your conduct…the pain you’ve caused,” Nakea said.
And Aguiar, head down, teary-eyed, was led from the courtroom in chains.
Staff writer Dennis Wilken can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) and mailto:dwilken@pulitzer.net
