Mosley family mourns
as son’s killer gets 20 years

Travis Limoz, 19, gets the maximum
penalty for causing the death

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By Debra Barayuga
dbarayuga@starbulletin.com

For the past two years, the only comforting thought Cecil Gary Mosley held on to was that the person responsible for his only son's death would be held accountable.

When that time came yesterday, however, it could not take away the grief and pain he and his family have suffered and will continue to suffer.

Circuit Judge Wilfred Watanabe sentenced Travis Limoz, 19, to the maximum 20 years' imprisonment for recklessly causing Cecil Edward Mosley's death.

Mosley, 23, died of head injuries a few days after he was carried on the windshield of Limoz's car for about 1,000 feet on a side street across from the Hawai'i Convention Center. Mosley was thrown to the asphalt when Limoz slammed on his brakes, according to deputy prosecutor Barry Kemp.

Limoz, who was 17 at the time, was tried as an adult for second-degree murder in the Aug. 13, 2000, incident. But Watanabe found Limoz guilty of the lesser offense of reckless manslaughter in May following a three-day jury-waived trial last September.

Cecil Gary Mosley, who had asked the court to impose the longest sentence possible, said outside the courtroom that the sentence gave him no comfort, "but at least (Limoz) can't go on with his life like nothing had happened."

He said he does not believe Limoz has any remorse or understands the pain he has caused.

"I'd give anything not to be here," Mosley said, his voice quavering as he left the courthouse with his wife, daughter and other family members.

Earlier, he had struggled with words to describe how Limoz's actions and lack of remorse have affected him. "I will feel nothing till the day I die but hatred for him," he said of Limoz.

Kathy Mosley, his wife, testified she has experienced something no parent should ever go through, which is to "watch their child take their last breath."

While Limoz gave no statement in court, he did write a letter to the court in which he apologized and indicated that he prays for the Mosley family every day, said Reginald Minn, Limoz's attorney.

In arguing for probation, Minn said Limoz acted in response to an extremely stressful situation that he did not cause. Despite the Mosleys' contention that their son was run down intentionally, the court's findings say otherwise, Minn said.

According to Watanabe's findings, as Limoz and his friends were about to leave the area, Limoz noticed Mosley walking quickly toward the front of his car, waving for him to stop.

Mosley allegedly wanted to question Limoz and one of his friends in the car about a robbery at the Shelter, a rave nightclub on Kalakaua Avenue where they had been earlier. The court found that there was room for Limoz to drive around Mosley but that he made no attempt to avoid him.

Mosley apparently "jumped" onto the hood of Limoz's car when Limoz "gave it a little gas," hoping he would move out of the way, according to Watanabe's findings. That's when Limoz panicked and drove off with Mosley on his windshield, Watanabe found.

Deputy Prosecutor Barry Kemp said one witness saw and heard Limoz's car accelerate so hard that gravel spun onto the underside of the car and that Mosley, who was too big to jump aside, had no choice but to jump onto the car.

Limoz, who had backed out of a parking space, could have continued backing up and driven the other way, Kemp said. "He was far enough away, he could've missed Mosley -- he didn't have to hit him."