Costa pleads not guilty to murder charges

LIHU‘E — “I’m innocent,” murder suspect Richard Shannon Costa said as he was helped into the sheriff’s van for transport back to Kauai Community Correctional Center Wednesday.

Costa made his first appearance in court yesterday, saying nothing in the courtroom as his lawyer pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder charges in the death of 18-year-old Hanama‘ulu resident Weslyn Jerves. Her body was found last Thursday morning near the Japanese graveyard at Glass Beach near Port Allen.

He is being charged with second-degree murder in Jerves’ death.

In District Court, Costa, 36, of Kalaheo, was represented by the lawyer who prosecuted the last few murder cases on Kaua‘i, former County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Soong.

Soong was standing in for his law partner William Feldhacker, who was court-appointed to the case.

Deputy Public Defender Erick Moon said that the public-defender’s office was withdrawing from the case, as the victim, Jerves, was a recent client at the public-defender’s office, and the office attorneys also may have served as counsel to possible witnesses.

First Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Richard Minatoya represented the state, with Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Marc E. Guyot, one of Kaua‘i’s newest deputies, representing the state as well.

Clad in a black T-shirt, board shorts, and slippers, Costa sported Band-Aids on the back of his ankles, possibly caused by the leg shackles with which he was fitted.

A routine bail study was ordered by District Court Judge Trudy K. Senda to see if Costa’s bail would be lowered from the current $100,000.

A preliminary hearing, to establish whether there is enough probable cause to sustain the charge, is scheduled for Friday, January 21 at 10:30 a.m. Funeral services for Jerves are Saturday.

Tom Finnegan, staff writer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or tfinnegan@pulitzer.net.