Homeless man convicted of murder

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By Anthony Sommer
tsommer@starbulletin.com

LIHUE >> William McCrory was convicted of second-degree murder by a jury yesterday in the Oct. 26 stabbing death of Brent Kerr.

Both men were homeless and alcoholics. They apparently argued over a bottle of vodka that Kerr had shoplifted and refused to share, according to police and prosecutors.

The stabbing took place early in the morning outside the van Kerr lived in near Nawiliwili Harbor.

Billy Pierce, McCrory's best friend, testified he loaned his knife to McCrory just before the murder, later helped McCrory load Kerr's body into his car and helped McCrory dump the body.

A friend of McCrory's said he came to her house shortly before the murder and repeatedly asked for a knife so he could kill a man in Nawiliwili. The woman refused to give him a knife. She said Pierce at that time was passed out in McCrory's car.

McCrory testified he did not kill Kerr. He told the Kauai jury that Pierce, who was not charged, was the killer.

Police located McCrory's car several days after the murder and found a pool of blood in the car. DNA tests showed it was Kerr's blood. There was also blood on the car door belonging to McCrory. When police arrested him, McCrory had a cut on his hand.

McCrory is scheduled for sentencing Sept. 19 in Kauai Circuit Court.