LIHU‘E — A jury found Vincente Kotekapika Hilario guilty of first-degree murder and three other charges today in 5th Circuit Court. The jury foreman presented the unanimous verdict to Chief Judge Randal Valenciano at approximately 2:40 p.m. The jury deliberated
LIHU‘E — A jury found Vincente Kotekapika Hilario guilty of first-degree murder and three other charges today in 5th Circuit Court. The jury foreman presented the unanimous verdict to Chief Judge Randal Valenciano at approximately 2:40 p.m.
The jury deliberated for less than two days following a trial which lasted nearly a month.
Hilario, 26, of Anahola, was found guilty of the murder of 34-year-old Aureo Eric Moore at Anahola Beach Park on Dec. 17, 2010. Moore was shot five times and died three hours later. He was also found guilty of retaliating against a witness, intimidating a witness and bribery of a witness.
Evidence presented at trial showed that Hilario shot Moore six times in order to prevent him from testifying against Kyle Akau, a friend of Hilario’s, concerning the August 21, 2010, Kapa‘a Safeway parking lot armed robbery.
Hilario’s trial was continued on a number of occasions before commencing on January 7 of this year.
The court granted a no-bail request from County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Melinda Mendes. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 13. Hilario faces a possible term of life without possibility of parole.
Prosecuting Attorney Justin Kollar credited the hard work of Mendes and Deputy Prosecuting Attorney H. Ramsey Ross, as well as that of Kaua‘i Police Department investigators, for achieving today’s verdict.
“This was a team effort,” Kollar said. “Melinda is a seasoned homicide prosecutor and epitomizes what this profession is about; Ramsey did a phenomenal job as the second chair. And none of it would have been possible without the tireless efforts of OPA and KPD investigators, including Assistant Chief Roy Asher and his team of dedicated detectives who put in countless hours of labor on what was a daunting and challenging case. I am so phenomenally proud of them. They made a powerful statement about the law and justice on Kauai.”
Police Chief Darryl Perry also thanked those who contributed the case.
“I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the successful prosecution of this case,” Perry said. “And once again, my deepest condolences go out to the Moore family for their loss. But my sympathy must also be shared with the Hilario ‘ohana because they too have suffered greatly. And while there is a sense of relief in the verdict, the fact remains that we cannot bring Aureo back. We can, however, find solace that the responsible person, who so callously took his life, was finally brought to justice.”
Sentencing is set for June 13, 2013. Hilario faces a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
