Posted on: Wednesday, February 19, 2003

Man guilty of murder in post-cockfight beating

Advertiser Staff

A 22-year-old Kapalama man faces life in prison with the possibility of parole after a Circuit Court jury found him guilty yesterday of second-degree murder in the beating death of a man after a cockfight in Kalihi in 2001.

The jury deliberated for less than a day before finding Lamaar Richardson guilty in the death of Leon Fernandez. The jury also convicted Richardson of first-degree assault in the near-fatal beating of Eufracio Esmeralda.

The fight began after a group of men disputed a referee's decision as to which bird had won a cockfight held at a home on Bannister Street on Nov. 16, 2001.

During Richardson's trial, his lawyer, Emlyn Higa, claimed that the fatal blows were delivered by others involved in the fracas.

But city deputy prosecutor Wayne Tashima argued that Richardson took part in the beating and substantially contributed to Fernandez's death.

Circuit Judge Marie Milks set sentencing for April 22.