LIHU‘E — After a two-week silence on the issue, Kaua‘i police on Tuesday confirmed they have recovered a weapon believed to be the same caliber as the gun used to shoot and kill Aureo Moore on Dec. 17 in Anahola.
LIHU‘E — After a two-week silence on the issue, Kaua‘i police on Tuesday confirmed they have recovered a weapon believed to be the same caliber as the gun used to shoot and kill Aureo Moore on Dec. 17 in Anahola.
Lt. Sherwin Perez told Judge Trudy Senda that on Dec. 20 he found a .25 caliber semi-automatic handgun on the bottom of the ocean off the coast of Anahola.
“I was searching the water for 10 to 15 minutes when I found the gun,” Perez said. “It was shiny; it caught my attention.”
Moore, 34, of Kapa‘a, was murdered in broad daylight in the middle of Mana‘i Road, a couple hundred yards from Anahola Beach Park. Within hours of the shooting, police arrested Vicente Hilario, 24, and David Kawaihalau-Manaku, 25. Both were charged with second-degree murder.
Kawaihalau-Manaku was later released pending investigation. He is now a witness in the case against Hilario, who had a first-degree murder charge added to the original charge.
Perez said he was called Dec. 20 to aid in the investigation because he has years of diving experience.
Police officer Luke Hamberg was also searching the waters nearby, walking in a shallow area “chest-high at the most,” Perez said.
While “combing” an area south of the park, Perez said he observed a small silver handgun on the ocean floor about 30 yards from shore.
Perez told the court he retrieved the weapon and immediately noted there was no clip in it.
He also checked the slide and noticed the chamber was empty. There was some writing on the gun, but Perez said he was unable to read it because he didn’t have his prescription glasses on.
Perez said he did not inspect to see if the gun was operable. Based on his visual inspection, he could not tell how long the gun was in the ocean.
Long morning
Family and friends of Hilario filled the right side of the courtroom Tuesday for a preliminary hearing that lasted the whole morning due to multiple recesses.
Senda called Angie Nora Crawford, also known as Pua Crawford, to testify as a witness.
Public defender Dena Renti Cruz said Crawford qualified to be represented by the state. But the Public Defense Office had a conflict of interest precluding it from defending Crawford, stemming from its prior representation of Moore.
The court appointed private attorney Nelson Goo to represent Crawford. She was re-scheduled to appear in court at 2 p.m., Jan. 21.
Kawaihalau-Manaku faced a similar situation, and the court appointed private attorney Guy Matsunaga to represent him.
Court proceedings started at 8 a.m. The only witness to testify that day, Perez, took the stand after 11 a.m.
The next preliminary hearing will be at 8:30 a.m., Monday. Kawaihalau-Manaku and a string of witnesses, including Det. James Miller, are expected to testify.
