Posted on: Friday, February 7, 2003

Suspect says he doesn't recall stabbing wife

By David Waite
Advertiser Courts Writer

A Kalihi man accused of stabbing his wife to death in September 2001 took the witness stand at Circuit Court yesterday and admitted he confronted his wife a few days before she was killed about possibly being pregnant by another man.

Florencio Garperio, 53, said through an interpreter that he believed his wife, Mercy, 47, had been "fooling around."

Garperio, who had recently lost his job with a catering company, said he was concerned that another child would mean another mouth to feed for a family that already had two children and was struggling to make ends meet.

He said his wife swore at him when he questioned her about being pregnant. Garperio said he did not discuss his concerns with anyone else because his mind "was in a state of confusion."

Garperio is on trial on a charge of murdering his wife. Garperio's lawyer, Dale Bennett, does not dispute that Garperio stabbed his wife, but claims he was under extreme mental or emotional distress at the time and therefore, can be found guilty of no more than manslaughter.

Garperio testified he has no recollection of stabbing his wife shortly after 1:10 p.m. Sept. 29, 2001, or of his son Rommer, who was then 16, grabbing his arm to make him stop. Nor, Garperio said, does he recall telling a police officer while being taken to the Kalihi police substation that he killed his wife.

The case was handed over to the jury yesterday afternoon after Bennett and city Deputy Prosecutor Maurice Arrisgado made their closing arguments.