Murder indictment in Ala Wai rampage

Advertiser Staff

The O'ahu grand jury yesterday indicted Cline Kahue on charges of second-degree murder in the June 18 death of former Star-Bulletin freelance writer Jack Wyatt, who drowned after Kahue allegedly shoved him into the Ala Wai Canal.

Kahue, 48, who has a history of mental problems, was ordered last month to undergo a psychiatric review to determine if he is competent to stand trial. A hearing on that issue had been scheduled for today.

Kahue is accused of pushing Wyatt, 71, down a 4-foot rock-and-concrete embankment into the canal. Witnesses said Kahue then assaulted two women along the sidewalk next to the waterway.

The indictment charges Kahue with murdering a person over age 59, which means he must spend at least 15 years in prison if convicted. Second-degree murder carries a mandatory life term with parole.