City Prosecutor Peter Carlisle this afternoon dropped an effort to send convicted killer Kirk Lankford to prison for the rest of his life.

Lankford, 23, still faces a life term with the possibility of parole for murdering Japanese visitor Masumi Watanabe, 21, in April 2007.

Carlisle abandoned the effort for a life-without-parole sentence after three psychiatric experts said the defendant did not meet the legal requirement of demonstrating a "significant history" of violent criminal conduct necessary to seek the enhanced prison sentence.

Circuit Judge Karl Sakamoto will sentence Lankford on July 31.

The Hawaii Paroling Authority will then determine how much time Lankford must serve before being considered for parole.