Posted on: Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Detective will not be prosecuted

By Ken Kobayashi
Advertiser Courts Writer

Police homicide detective Sheryl Sunia will not be prosecuted in connection with allegations relating to her testimony in a recent murder trial, it was disclosed yesterday.

Sunia was the lead detective in the murder trial of three men accused as the masked gunmen who shot Greg Morishima in an 'Aiea garage in 2003. The trial ended in April with the jurors unable to reach a unanimous verdict for the three men and a fourth man charged with robbery in the case.

After the mistrial, Honolulu police launched a criminal and administrative internal affairs investigation based on an anonymous letter. Pending the outcome of the investigation, Sunia was reassigned to the communications division.

Yesterday, city Deputy Prosecutor Lucianne Khalaf said the results of the criminal investigation were referred to the attorney general's office, which declined to prosecute. She said the allegations about Sunia's testimony were "completely meritless."

Still pending is the administrative investigation, Khalaf said.

Circuit Judge Michael Town reviewed in private the two-page anonymous letter, which had been sought by defense attorneys, who say it might help their defense in the retrial scheduled to start with jury selection July 25.

Town released to the prosecution and defense lawyers a small portion of the letter.

Richard Hoke, defense attorney for Micah Kanahele, one of three men charged with murder, said he is preparing a request asking Town to allow the defense to introduce that portion of the letter in the retrial. He said he will also subpoena Sunia and the two detectives who worked on the case to ask them about the allegations.

Sunia, a 24-year veteran of the Police Department, has declined to comment on the case, but her lawyer, David Hayakawa, has said she has been cooperating and is confident she'll be vindicated.

Reach Ken Kobayashi at kkobayashi@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8030.