Slain surfer’s brother
says he feels for
slayer’s child

By Gary Kubota
Star-Bulletin

WAILUKU -- Lester Morreira said he sympathizes with the two daughters of his brother, William Simpson Jr., who was shot to death in 1996.

He also sympathizes with the daughter of the man who killed him.

"The people I feel sorry about is the children," Morreira said yesterday before a judge sentenced Thomas S. Schillaci, who was convicted in the killing.

"I wish we could bring back June 3rd and change the events of that day."

Schillaci, 32, was sentenced to 45 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of 10 years, and ordered to pay more than $7,000 in costs to the court and Simpson's family.

Simpson, 40, a big-wave surfer, was shot in the head while serving as a rental agent for Olinda property owner Mike Waltz, who was producing a surfing film in Fiji.

Simpson was among a small group of surfers who used thrill craft to pull themselves into position to ride waves more than 30 feet high at a site called "Jaws" on Maui.

Morreira said his brother had a "mean streak in him" but also was a loving person and didn't deserve to die the way he did.

His brother lay on the ground for 45 minutes before anybody helped him, Morreira said. He said his family had forgiven Schillaci and didn't care about his sentencing because nothing done now could bring back Simpson.

During the trial, defense attorney Donald Wilkerson described Simpson as a "thug" who physically threatened to kill Schillaci and his pregnant girlfriend, Carmencita Lista.

Lista later became Schillaci's wife.

Members of Schillaci's family -- including Carmencita, who held his daughter in her arms -- asked Judge Boyd Mossman for leniency.

Although a jury last year found Schillaci guilty of the lesser offense of manslaughter in the killing, Mossman decided Schillaci deserved consecutive terms for felonies related to the killing.

Deputy Prosecutor Davelynn Tengan said Schillaci apparently was involved in criminal activity at the Olinda residence, with drug paraphernalia in his house and more than 20 firearms.

Tengan noted that after the shooting, Schillaci and Lista fled the scene and had to be caught by police.