Physician in Hawaii Found Guilty of Attempted Manslaughter of His Wife
A physician from Hawaii, previously accused of attempting to murder his wife during a picturesque cliffside hike, has been found guilty of a lesser crime. The man, aged 47, was convicted of attempted manslaughter, a charge stemming from an alleged extreme mental or emotional disturbance. This conviction may lead to a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
The doctor's lawyer stated his intentions to appeal the verdict, although he did express gratitude that the jury did not convict his client of attempted murder, a crime which would have resulted in a life sentence. The attorney is also eager to challenge some of the judge's decisions throughout the trial.
The Alleged Incident
The prosecutors allege that the doctor plotted to murder his wife during a weekend birthday trip to Honolulu. He was accused of trying to push her off a cliff and stab her with a syringe, and when that plan failed, he supposedly struck her with a rock. The attack was thwarted by two hikers who heard her pleas for help.
The accused defended himself by stating that his wife was the first to hit him with a rock and that he only retaliated in self-defense. The couple's two young sons were at home on the island of Maui while the incident took place.
When the verdict was announced, the doctor stood, closed his eyes, and dropped his gaze. His parents chose not to comment on the matter and his wife was not present in court.
Jury's Deliberations
The jury's deliberations primarily revolved around the events that occurred on the hiking trail. They scrutinized the testimonies of the individuals present at the scene to identify any inconsistencies. They acknowledged that the wife suffered a head injury, which could have been severe given the potential lethality of such injuries.
The jurors agreed that the wife's relationship with a coworker possibly caused an emotional disturbance for the doctor, which influenced their verdict. According to Hawaii law, a charge of attempted murder can be reduced to attempted manslaughter if the defendant was under the influence of extreme mental or emotional disturbance, and if there is a reasonable explanation for this disturbance.
Defense's Stand
The physician's lawyer repeatedly questioned the credibility of the wife's story during his closing arguments. He suggested that if the doctor truly intended to kill his wife and had a syringe at his disposal, he would have drugged her before trying to push her off the cliff rather than initiating a fight and then attempting to fill the syringe.
The trial began almost a year after the couple's hike on a trail in Honolulu, which ended with the wife bloodied and screaming that her husband had attempted to murder her.
The Testimonies
During the trial, the doctor testified that his wife was involved in an affair, which he discovered by unlocking her phone while she was asleep. This relationship, which the wife described as an "emotional affair" involving flirtatious messages with a coworker, was discussed during the hike.
The wife testified that her husband had tried to push her off the cliff, but she threw herself to the ground to resist. She stated that he straddled her and attempted to stab her with a syringe, but she was able to knock it away. She also claimed that she bit his forearm and squeezed his testicles in an attempt to defend herself.
However, the husband denied these claims and insisted that his wife was the one who attacked him first with a rock. In his defense, he claimed that he only took the rock from her and hit her twice. He also denied having any syringes or attempting to stab his wife. His lawyer maintained that no syringe was found at the scene because the doctor had never brought one.
The doctor's lawyer described him as a man dealing with infidelity and trying to do his best, not someone who would attempt to commit murder. He quoted a birthday card the doctor had written for his wife, where he called her "the heart of our family" and expressed his gratitude for having her and their children in his life.
After the incident, the doctor considered ending his life by jumping off the cliff. He called his adult son from a previous marriage before making the leap. The son reported that his father confessed to trying to kill his stepmother, a claim the doctor denied. He said that he only called his son to say goodbye.
The prosecutor pointed out that during the call, the doctor did not mention anything about self-defense. After the incident, he hid on the mountain for about eight hours before deciding to come down, and then attempted to escape when confronted by the police. His wife has since filed for divorce.