Kapa‘a man found dead at falls was witness to shooting

A 40-year-old Kapa‘a man found dead Thursday at Wailua Falls and identified Monday by county officials as Troy Paul Crawford testified in July in an attempted murder case related to the June drive-by shooting at McDonald’s in Kapa‘a.

Crawford’s status as one of the eyewitnesses was confirmed yesterday by a trio of attorneys involved in two separate cases related to the incident.

Honolulu attorney Michael Jay Green, who represents Taekyu U, 25, of Kapa‘a, in his first-degree attempted murder case, cross-examined Crawford during the second session of a two-part preliminary hearing in District Court in July.

Crawford was one of four alleged customers who were exiting the restaurant at the time of the shooting, three of whom testified. A McDonald’s employee and three Kaua‘i Police Department officers also testified during the hearing.

U’s trial is currently scheduled to begin Jan. 15, but there are indications that it could be delayed. He remains free on $250,000 bail.

Attorney Daniel Hempey, who represents 17-year-old Brock Alan Reyes, also accused of attempted murder and allegedly the driver of the vehicle, said Crawford’s name was included in police reports. Hempey may have been asking similar questions of Crawford when Reyes’ preliminary hearing continues next Wednesday.

An attorney in the prosecutor’s office also noted that Crawford’s name had come up on their lists.

County spokeswoman Mary Daubert confirmed yesterday that Crawford’s cause of death had been determined to be from injuries sustained in a fall, noting that Crawford had fallen from atop the waterfall and was not standing below the falls and struck by an object.

Daubert reiterated the county’s stance that there was no reason to believe foul play was involved.