Howard Ikaika Giddens was sentenced Thursday to life in prison with no possibility of parole. He was convicted of killing one man and injuring another.
Giddens was convicted of the crimes in March. He committed them during a shooting rampage in his Hanama’ulu neighborhood on Sept. 18, 2000. He also shot out windows and nicked cars and homes in the vicinity.
Fifth Circuit Court Judge Clifford Nakea handed down the sentence in the non-jury trial. Nakea ruled that while Giddens may have been delusional, he still had the ability to control his conduct the day of the shootings.
Giddens was convicted in the shooting death of Colan Fernandez, a man he didn’t know, and for injuring Nelson Cuba with a blast from a shot gun.
Fernandez was shot in his garage in Hanama’ulu while waiting for a ride to work.
According to testimony given in court, at Hanama’ulu Beach Park he shot at a moving pickup truck, injuring Nelson Cuba with a shot to his face. Returning home, he walked next door and shot and killed Colan Fernandez.
“They think I’m a cold-blooded killer. I’m not, what I did was right …,” Giddens said in his final statement Thursday morning. Giddens said he had to protect his family and his use of drugs had nothing to do with what he did.
“He wanted people to stop messing with his family. Howard could not control his mind,” said public defender James Itamura. Itamura said that Giddens continually spoke of feeling abandoned by his family and how he loves his young son.
Prosecutor Mike Soong said that medical doctors found that Giddens’ use of methamphetamine contributed to his involvement in the crimes.
As he awaited his turn for sentencing, Giddens, 29, seemed calm and collected, though members of his family anxiously watched him.
When his name was called to stand before the judge, Giddens turned to a television news cameraman in the courtroom and made a disparaging remark while pointing at the family of Fernandez, the man he shot and killed. At that point some members of his own family started to cry.
Giddens will serve concurrent sentences, including 10 years for firearms violations, five years for reckless endangerment and 10 years for criminal property damage.
Staff Writer Kendyce Manguchei may be contacted at kmanguchei @pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 252).
