Posted at 3:00 p.m., Thursday, August 24, 2006
Defendant claims self defense as murder trial begins
By Ken Kobayashi
Advertiser Courts Writer
Kerry Sanders, 40, is charged with murdering Jonathan Nunes, 32.
The prosecution is relying on statements that Sanders gave to police in which he said Nunes "walked into (the knife)."
City Deputy Prosecutor Kevin Takata said the wound from the knife with a 10-inch blade was 9.8 inches deep.
In his opening, Sanders' attorney Keith Shigetomi said his client acted in self defense in trying to fend off Nunes who threw two punches at Sanders' head.
Shigetomi said Sanders is 5-foot-6, 160 pounds. Nunes was 5-10, 320 pounds.
Takata said he will ask for a murder conviction, while Shigetomi said he will seek an acquittal of the murder charge.
The murder charge carries a mandatory life term with possibility of parole.
The trial in Circuit Judge Karl Sakamoto's courtroom is expected to last about a week.
