LIHUE — A Kapaa man was charged with second-degree murder in 5th Circuit Court on Wednesday. Steven M. Wilson, 26, a former Alaska resident, was indicted by a 5th Circuit grand jury on Thursday, just a week before he would
LIHUE — A Kapaa man was charged with second-degree murder in 5th Circuit Court on Wednesday.
Steven M. Wilson, 26, a former Alaska resident, was indicted by a 5th Circuit grand jury on Thursday, just a week before he would have had a preliminary hearing for a judge to determine if probable cause existed for the state to prosecute the charge.
The charge relates to the death of Kendra “Kenny” Elizabeth Lewis, 21, who was also from Alaska. She was found stabbed to death in the bedroom of her residence at Kawaihau Sports Villa condominium in Kapaa on April 26.
The indictment states that between April 11 and April 26, Wilson intentionally and knowingly caused the death of Lewis. Prosecutors will seek a sentence of life without the possibility of parole with the grand jury adding that Wilson is subject to enhanced sentencing for a murder that is “especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel, manifesting exceptional depravity, as a conscienceless or pitiless crime is unnecessarily tortuous to a victim.”
The initial appearance started with State Public Defender Stephanie Sato, who said the office has a conflict in the case for having previously represented a witness in another matter.
Judge Kathleen Watanabe appointed private attorney Craig De Costa to represent Wilson. He was also the court-appointed attorney in the district court case that was dismissed with the indictment.
County First Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Kevin Takata represented the state. After a plea of not guilty was entered by the defendant a trial date was scheduled for Sept. 9.
The court kept Wilson’s bail set at $1 million and he is being held at Kauai Community Correctional Center. A defense motion for a bail study was granted.
According to a county news release, Wilson and the victim moved to Kaua‘i from Anchorage, Alaska, earlier in the year. The two reportedly lived together with another member of the Lewis family.
