Posted on: Sunday, July 14, 2002

Kaua'i man found guilty of murder

Associated Press

LIHU'E, Kaua'i — A homeless Kaua'i man has been convicted of second-degree murder in the stabbing death of another homeless man.

A jury on Friday found William McCrory, 45, guilty in the Oct. 26 killing of Brent Kerr, 44.

McCrory faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with the possibility of parole when he is sentenced Sept. 19.

Police and prosecutors said the two men were drinking buddies and the killing happened after an argument over a bottle of vodka that Kerr had shoplifted and refused to share.

The stabbing took place in the morning outside the van Kerr lived in near Nawiliwili Harbor. The body was moved to Wailua where it was discovered on Kuhio Highway near the abandoned Coco Palms Hotel, authorities said.

Billy Pierce, a friend of McCrory's, testified he loaned a knife to McCrory the day of the killing and later helped dump the body.

McCrory claimed Pierce, who was never charged, was the real killer.

Police found McCrory's car a few days after the killing and found a pool of blood, which DNA tests showed to be Kerr's. Blood on the car door matched McCrory, who had a cut on his hand when he was arrested, according to testimony.