Man found guilty of murder in death of 8-week-old son

By David Waite
Advertiser Courts Writer

A 33-year-old man is facing life in prison with the possibility of parole along with a 15-year mandatory minimum after a Circuit Court jury found him guilty of second-degree murder yesterday for the October 2003 beating death of his son.

Derrick Smith testified during his trial that he dropped 8-week-old Kelby Bridenstine face-first onto a hard tile floor while baby-sitting as the infant's mother, Ericka Bridenstine, was picking up a friend at the airport on Oct. 9, 2003.

State Deputy Public Defender Ronette Kawakami said when the trial began that the baby's death was because of a tragic accident. She said Smith had fallen asleep with the baby on the couch, awoke about 1:30 a.m. when the baby began crying and was carrying the child when the boy suddenly flipped over and fell to the floor.

But Honolulu medical examiner Dr. Kanthi von Guenthner testified during the trial the infant suffered a fractured skull and died of a severe brain injury that could not possibly have been the result of an accident.

Smith is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 23.