The wife of murder defendant Glenn J. Keohokapu Jr. says the victim started the fight that led to his death and that her husband wasn't even trying to fight back.

Keohokapu, 36, is on trial in Circuit Court for second-degree murder for fatally stabbing Steven Wilcox, 19, outside a Kaneohe karaoke bar on June 8. His lawyer says Keohokapu stabbed Wilcox in self-defense.

Kauilani Keohokapu took the stand as a prosecution witness yesterday.

She said she and her husband stepped out of Club Komomai because her husband was upset. He thought another man in the karaoke bar was staring at her, she said.

As her husband was seated behind the wheel of their car, Keohokapu said she stood next to him. She said she wanted to leave. But when she asked her husband for the car keys, he threw them on the ground.

She said she then leaned over, grabbed her husband and said, “;I didn't come back for this ...”;

She said Keohokapu's brother Kila was standing next to her. She said he stuck out his arm, pushed her back and told her not to do that.

At that point Keohokapu said Wilcox, who had been inside Club Komomai, approached from behind her brother-in-law and said, “;That's one female.”;

She said her brother-in-law told Wilcox to mind his own business. And she said her husband stepped out of the car and told Wilcox she was his wife.

  Local Woman Testifies In Fatal Stabbing Trial

 

Steven Wilcox was called a hero for trying to rescue a woman that was fighting with her husband but the woman testified she didn’t need to be rescued.

[  Watch  ]

 

At that point, Keohokapu said Wilcox “;put up his hands, started bouncing and he started to want to take his shirt off.”;

She said Wilcox did take his shirt off and started taking swings at her husband, who was backing up. Her brother-in-law stayed between Wilcox and her husband, she said, trying to prevent the fight. After her husband stepped out of the car, she said she went in and locked the doors.

Keohokapu said she didn't see her husband stab Wilcox, but at some point he returned to the car and got in and they left.

Glenn and Kauilani Keohokapu were supposed to be in Honolulu District Court the following day for Glenn's misdemeanor protective-order violation trial. Neither showed up.

Kauilani Keohokapu was the complaining witness in the alleged protective order violation.