Defense rests case in trial over Maui woman’s 2014 slaying ADVERTISING Defense rests case in trial over Maui woman’s 2014 slaying WAILUKU, Maui (AP) — Attorneys for a Maui man on trial for murder in the death of his pregnant
Defense rests case in trial over Maui woman’s 2014 slaying
WAILUKU, Maui (AP) — Attorneys for a Maui man on trial for murder in the death of his pregnant ex-girlfriend have rested their case after the suspect decided not to testify.
Steven Capobianco’s defense team concluded its case Tuesday, allowing prosecutors to call a witness to testify.
Capobianco, 27, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder for the death of Carly “Charli” Scott and an arson charge related to her vehicle. Capobianco has said he saw Scott on the evening of Feb. 9, 2014, when her family says she went missing, but that he had nothing to do with her disappearance.
Forensic anthropologist Nicholas Passalacqua testified about the 27-year-old victim’s body parts, which were found by police in Nuaailua Bay on east Maui after searchers found some of Scott’s clothes there.
Passalacqua said the marks on Scott’s lower right jawbone were cut marks, with one mark indicative of someone “using a knife in a sawing motion.”
His testimony served as a rebuttal to remarks by defense witness Dr. Michael Laufer, who was called to the stand on Nov. 10. Laufer said marks on the jawbone were caused by the teeth of an animal, possibly a wild boar weighing 150 to 200 pounds.
Passalacqua said, however, that he didn’t “observe any evidence of carnivore damage to this mandible.”
During trial Tuesday, Circuit Judge Joseph Cardoza denied a prosecution request to introduce the results of DNA testing on a pair of blue jeans found over a guardrail along Hana Highway. DNA from blood stains on the jeans was matched to Scott and a black hair found in a pocket of the jeans was matched to Capobianco.
Cardoza ruled the evidence, which the prosecution worked for more than two and a half years to obtain, couldn’t be presented based on the timing.
Water restrictions lifted for Molokai residents
HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii has lifted a water usage restriction for nearly 2,000 residents on the island of Molokai after vandals damaged storage tanks carrying millions of gallons of water.
The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands said Wednesday that testing on the two storage tanks in Hoolehua determined the water is safe to drink.
The water quality concerns began Tuesday when the department discovered that the lids on the tanks were vandalized and one was completely torn off.
Residents had been advised to avoid tap water and seek alternative sources of water for drinking, cooking and washing. The incident also forced the closure of four schools Wednesday.
DHHL is now cooperating with Maui County police in their ongoing investigation into the vandalism.
It remains unclear when the lids were damaged. No damage was noted during the last routine inspection of the tanks on Oct. 15.
“These lids are heavy duty metal lids that are locked down on one side and have metal hinges on the other, so those locks and hinges needed to be cut — and that’s what happened,” said department spokeswoman Kuuwehi Hiraishi.
DHHL said the two 3.5-million-gallon tanks serve about 1,800 customers, mostly homesteaders from Kalamaula Hawaiian Homestead and Palaau Hoolehua Hawaiian Homestead and also residents in Kalae.
