Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.
XEROX SHOOTINGS TRIAL
The jury took 75 mintues
By Debra Barayuga
to reach its verdicts
Star-BulletinA Circuit Court jury today found copy repairman Byran Uyesugi guilty as charged of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of seven Xerox coworkers last November. He faces life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. He will be sentenced Aug. 8.
The jury also found Uyesgui guilty of attempted second-degree murder for shooting and narrowly missing Steven Matsuda in the stairwell of the Xerox building. Because they convicted him of the first-degree murder, they did not have to decide on the seven lesser counts of second-degree murder.
In finding Uyesugi guilty of first-degree murder, the jury found he caused the death of more than one person on Nov. 2, 1999 and he did so "intentionally and knowingly." They also found that he not only caused the death of two individuals as required by the jury instructions, but all seven victims.
Defense attorneys had sought an acquittal by reason of insanity. The defense had argued Uyesugi suffered from delusions that began about 10 years ago and continued to Nov. 2 in which he believed his coworkers were conspiring to discredit him. The state had argued although he suffered from a mental disorder, he knew what he was doing what was wrong when he gunned down his seven coworkers. An audible "yes" rose from spouses and family members of the seven victims and several wiped back tears as the verdict was read. Killed in the shootings were Jason Balatico, Ford Kanehira, Ron Kataoka, Ronald Kawamae, Melvin Lee, Peter Mark and John Sakamoto.
Prosecutors Peter Carlisle, Chris Van Marter and Kevin Takata quietly congratulated each other with handshakes. Uyesugi, dressed in an untucked aloha shirt, did not appear to react to the verdict. None of his family members were present for the verdict.
The 12 jurors took less than two hours to deliberate. All sat solemnly as Circuit Court clerk Lynette Gomes read the verdicts out loud.
Defense lawyer Jerel Fonseca says he believes Uyesugi doesn't understand what he's done. "When a person doesn't fully understand what happed, it's hard for him to show remorse," Fonseca said. Fonseca said: "That was always one of the big worries that (the jurors would find) ... he was not insane."
But Fonseca said he was satisfied with the job he and fellow attorney Rodney Ching, did.
Fonseca said Uyesugi still believes that the victims conspired against him and sabotaged his work.
But he said Uyesugi presently is not see the dark shadow and not feeling the poking he testified as seeing or feeling before the shootings.
At Sears Roebuck at Ala Moana Center, Cheryl Mitamura, who works for the state Health Department and knew Kanehira and Kataoka and met Uyesugi once, said: "I was happy. I was hoping he would be found guilty."
Serving on the jury of Hawaii's worst multiple slaying were: Gordon Lau, Rona Suzuki, John Hoover, Claire Dodson, Bill Eng, Gwenn Ling, John Chinen, Betty Wilhelm, Donald Davis, foreperson John Wagner, Laurie Ogata and Gemina Kaeha.
Judge Marie Milks thanked the jurors for their willingness to serve and conscientiousness throughout the trial.
"You have not only fulfilled your civic duty, but you have also made a personal contribution to the ideals of equal justice for all people."
The verdict capped a 10-day trial and a weeklong recess last week while Milks fulfilled a prior teaching commitment on the mainland.
Opening Arguments from May 15, 2000
Xerox killings - Nov. 2, 1999
