HILO — A Hilo Circuit Court jury deliberated for only about an hour Tuesday before returning a verdict of not guilty in a murder trial.
The jury of nine women and three men acquitted 67-year-old Wayne Teves of Waipio Valley of second-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony for the March 2, 2016, shooting death of 49-year-old Thaine Ulysses Lucifer Price, whose body was found partially submerged in a river close to Teves’ home.
Teves faced a mandatory sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole if convicted on the murder charge.
During the trial, the prosecution said Teves’ motive for slaying Price was revenge for a longstanding dispute, because Price dammed the river to cross it in his truck, which flooded Teves’ house. Deputy Prosecutor Joseph Lee said Teves also blamed Price for the death of Teves’ 35-year-old daughter, Jasmin, by causing her unnecessary stress which exacerbated a case of lupus.
Defense attorney Brian De Lima dubbed the prosecution’s main witnesses — Starsky Pira, Keo Joaquin and Lance Joaquin — the “gang of three.” They testified Teves had confessed to shooting Price, but admitted to perjuring themselves on other matters.
All received immunity from perjury charges in return for their testimony.
“Based on our view of the case, we were confident when (the jury) came back that quickly, they recognized that the state had no evidence, especially when their three main witnesses admitted to committing perjury on the stand,” De Lima said.
Lee said he was “disappointed,” but added “the jury has spoken, and we will reluctantly accept the verdict that they have given to us.”
Jury forewoman Janet Graupman said afterward that the jury “just didn’t feel the prosecution had enough actual evidence that pointed to Wayne Teves.” She said the panel thought the defense’s star witnesses “were not credible because they had perjured themselves earlier.”
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.