Posted on: Thursday, March 29, 2001

Kapolei man accused of strangling wife

By William Cole and Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writers

The death of a Kapolei woman last year has led to an O'ahu grand jury murder indictment against her husband, who is accused of strangling her and filing a life insurance claim following her death.

Kenneth Wakisaka, 45, was indicted by the panel yesterday on a charge of second-degree murder, prosecutors said. He was arrested yesterday and was being held on $100,000 bail.

Shirlene Wakisaka, 54, died five days after emergency crews responded to a call from the couple's home April 5 last year.

Prosecutors said Wakisaka told firefighters his wife had taken alcohol and pills and he signed a release so his wife wouldn't be taken to the hospital. Eight hours after emergency personnel left, Wakisaka called 911 to report his wife was nonresponsive, prosecutors said.

She was taken to a hospital and the case was originally considered an attempted suicide, prosecutors said. She remained in a coma until she died, authorities said.

Wakisaka denied any wrongdoing, but after his wife's death, he opposed an autopsy, which later showed she had been strangled, prosecutors and police said.

Prosecutors also said Wakisaka, an engineering manager, took out a life insurance policy on his wife and himself effective March 1 while the couple had been separated. He later filed a claim on the policy, prosecutors said.

The couple had been married nine years, but separated for seven months, before reuniting about a month before her death, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said Wakisaka had a 1997 conviction for abusing his wife.