KAILUA-KONA — Julie Kaaloa felt the no contest plea given by a Captain Cook man accused of hitting and killing her 10-year-old daughter in a November 2016 crash was not appropriate.
“I think ‘not guilty’ would’ve been more appropriate,” Julie Kaaloa said Friday. “I asked the judge to not give him anything.”
William Herndon, 63, was indicted last November on a charge of misdemeanor negligent homicide. The charge stemmed from an incident that occurred on Nov. 2, 2016. Traveling north, Janexty Kamakamaeuluwehi Kaaloa, known to family and friends as Ulu, attempted to cross Highway 11 toward her family’s restaurant, Kaaloa’s Super J’s, when she was hit by Herndon, who was driving south in a tan, 1987 Jeep pickup truck.
In 3rd Circuit Court Wednesday, Herndon entered a no contest plea to the charge of second-degree negligent injury and was sentenced to one year probation with a $2,000 fine.
Kaaloa wrote a letter to the court, which was read aloud by her mother the day of sentencing.
“I don’t want Mr. Herndon to have any consequences. None! None at all!” she wrote. “I want all charges dropped.”
Kaaloa wrote that she didn’t believe Herndon committed a crime, but kept a promise.
“I believe in my heart this is a spiritual occurrence,” the letter read.
Kaaloa, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, wrote about a conversation she believes her daughter had with God and Herndon before she was born.
“In the pre-Earth life, Heavenly Father told Janexty it was her turn to go to Earth and she didn’t want to go,” Kaaloa wrote.
The letter goes on to state that Heavenly Father promised Ulu she would only have to go for a while.
“She asked Him how she would return back to Heaven,” Kaaloa wrote. “Bill stepped forward and said: ‘I will help Janexty. I will help you return back to Heaven.’”
Ulu’s mother continued, writing Ulu agreed because Herndon had “such a fast vibration that his light was brighter than the rest.”
“She knew Bill was strong enough to slow down his vibration so much that his light would dim and be able to help her return to Heaven,” she wrote. “She knew he could pull himself through such a tragedy.”
Kaaloa wrote that she agreed to be Ulu’s mother in the pre-Earth life so she could remind Herndon that he kept his promise to her daughter and that the 10-year-old loved him.
“From the beginning, that’s how I felt,” the letter read.
The letter goes on to recall the day of the crash and Ulu’s death as well as the support the family received beginning moments after the accident.
“The community came together and supported me and my family and the children that were there that witnessed this accident,” the letter read.
Kaaloa also wrote about her desire to meet Herndon, which they did a few weeks after the incident at Paleaku Peace Garden.
“We embraced in the parking lot for a few long minutes, both crying,” Kaaloa wrote. “Him apologizing and me thanking him for keeping his promise to my little girl.”
On Friday, Kaaloa said her family misses Ulu — “but what can we do?”
“We got to be the best people we can be till it’s our turn to go,” she said.