Albert Pacheco, left, was led into South Kohala District Court in January 2002.
Ex-cop admits
to murdering wife
HILO >> Former Big Island police officer Albert Pacheco pleaded guilty yesterday to murdering his wife in 2002, a change of plea that will let him avoid a sentence of life in prison without parole.
But even with the possibility of parole, the Hawaii Paroling Authority typically requires a person sentenced to life to serve at least 30 years, said Deputy Prosecutor Michael Udovic. Pacheco is 48.
"How much life can somebody get?" Udovic asked.
The change of plea was approved by Circuit Judge Greg Nakamura yesterday, but a sentence won't be handed down until a hearing on Aug. 16.
According to testimony during a preliminary hearing in 2002, Pacheco, a police detective at the time, slammed his car into the van of his wife Cathalene Ann, 42, on a street in Waikoloa early in the evening on Jan. 4, 2002.
Witness Dawn Cachero said the driver, identified by others as Pacheco, got out of his car and fired six to eight shots at the van. He returned to his car, then went back to the van, and fired eight to 10 more shots, Cachero said.
Udovic said Pacheco apparently went back to his car to reload his gun.
Sgt. Hyland Char testified during the hearing that Pacheco told him, "I did it to her good this time."
Heidi Hemmings testified that her friend Cathalene had moved in with a married woman friend because she was "deathly afraid" afraid of Pacheco.
Pacheco earlier pleaded not guilty to committing murder in a "heinous" fashion, a charge that could have brought a sentence of life without parole. His change to a guilty plea also resulted in the dropping of charges of terroristic threatening and criminal property damage.
But a fourth charge remains -- using a firearm in the commission of a felony -- which could result in a 20-year sentence.
Udovic said he will argue at sentencing that Pacheco should serve the life sentence and the 20-year sentence back to back instead of at the same time.
Dressed in civilian clothes but bound by handcuffs and ankle manacles, Pacheco made no statement, merely giving answers such as, "Yes, your honor," to questions from the judge.
