Plea deal prevents possible life sentences Eamonn Carolan, 18, and Orian Macomber, 19, admitted Thursday that they attacked a group of gay campers at Polihale Beach State Park on the evening of May 26. The teenagers pleaded guilty in Fifth
Plea deal prevents possible life sentences
Eamonn Carolan, 18, and Orian Macomber, 19, admitted Thursday that they attacked a group of gay campers at Polihale Beach State Park on the evening of May 26.
The teenagers pleaded guilty in Fifth Circuit Court to 15 charges in connection with the incident.
In exchange for the guilty pleas, the Kaua’i County prosecuting attorney dropped charges of attempted murder against Carolan and Macomber. Convictions on those charges could have resulted in life in prison for each of them.
Carolan pleaded guilty to attempted assault and assault in the second degree, criminal property damage in the first degree, two counts of terroristic threatening in the first degree and two counts of unauthorized entry of motor vehicles.
Macomber pleaded guilty to the same charges plus an additional count of assault.
Judge Clifford Nakea sent sentencing for both men on Jan. 17.
Macomber faces a possible 45 years in prison and Carolan a possible 40 years if Nakea maxes out the sentences.
In their plea agreements, both defendants stipulated that there was no sentencing agreement (for minimum terms) with the prosecutors and no reduced bail motions.
The Lihu’e courtroom was full yesterday, evenly divided between members of the gay community and relatives of the accused.
In the hallway outside the courtroom after the pleadings, Carolan’s attorney, Mark Zenger of O’ahu, defended the plea bargain he and Macomber’s lawyer, Peter Morimoto, reached with Prosecuting Attorney Mike Soong.
“It was a long, arduous discussion. And with this agreement, the defendants won’t be subjected to attempted murder in the first degree and attempted murder in the second, which could have resulted in life in prison,” Zenger said.
Soong expressed satisfaction with the outcome.
The amended charges reflect “the events that happened that night. It’s a good result,” Soong said.
The defendants were accused of trying (and failing) to set two occupied tents on fire, and Macomber allegedly menaced a man with a bamboo stick.
None of the campers were seriously injured during the attacks, which also allegedly included verbal harassment based on the victims’ sexual preferences.
Carolan and Macomber are in Kaua’i Community Correctional Center, where they’ve been since their arrests after the attacks.
Staff writer Dennis Wilken can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) and mailto:dwilken@pulitzer.net
