A 29-year-old former Waianae High School quarterback was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison for manslaughter in the Oct. 5, 2017, drunken driving crash on the Waianae Coast that killed Troy Kahooilihala Jr., 21, his friend and back-seat passenger.
Before sentencing Puletua Wilson, Circuit Judge Paul Wong heard emotional statements from members of the Wilson and Kahooilihala families. At least eight deputy sheriffs were positioned inside and outside the courtroom.
Kahooilihala’s father, Troy, told the judge, “I would give my life to have my son back. … I’m half dead, your honor. … He was a good boy. I learned a lot from my son.” But then he sees the former football star out free in the community, and “he act like he own Waianae.”
Wilson, who maintains his innocence, stood to address the court, but the message was mostly for his family. “Even if the wrong man goes to jail,” to keep strong and keep their heads up, he told them.
His father, Eliu Wilson, said, “Till today we don’t believe that our son was the driver. … I’m proud of my son. He’s the sole provider for his family.”
Wong said he is bound by the law in sentencing, and the jury rendered its decision, despite being given the option of lesser crimes.
A jury of 10 women and two men July 28 found Wilson guilty of manslaughter as charged.
Wilson, who had remained free on $100,000 bond since Dec. 15, 2018, was taken into custody, but not before being allowed time to embrace a long line of relatives and friends who came to say goodbye.
He had been out working full time to support his wife and children — daughters 7 and 5 and a son, 1, he fathered while out on bail.
His court-appointed attorney, Nelson Goo, argued the incident may have been reckless but not criminal, and said his client had earlier offered to plead guilty to first-degree negligent homicide. He asked for probation so Wilson could continue to support his family.
During the trial Deputy Prosecutor Anna Ishikawa said Wilson, “found suspended upside down and held in place by a seat belt,” was clearly the driver, and his blood alcohol content was 0.17, more than twice the legal limit for drunken driving.
Witnesses testified he drank from sunset to midnight at Waianae Boat Harbor and continued drinking at Yokohama Bay where he got behind the wheel of his friend’s Toyota Avalon over friends’ objections.
Ishikawa said he was driving more than 100 mph when he crashed into a parked pickup truck, causing the Toyota sedan to launch into the air, landing nearly 200 feet from the truck onto the beach.
Kahooilihala, thrown another 60 feet, struck his head on rocks. He died at the scene from multiple blunt force injuries to his body and bleeding on the brain.
Honolulu Prosecutor Steve Alm wrote: “I am very pleased with Judge Wong’s sentence in this case, which sends a strong message that drunk driving will not be tolerated in the City and County of Honolulu.
“Wilson’s reckless disregard for the safety of others resulted in the death of Troy Kahooilihala, a promising young man who was much loved by his family and the community,” he said. “Although this sentence will not bring Troy back to his loved ones, I thank the Kahooilihala family for their patience as this 5-year chapter comes to a close.”
His aunt told the court he was the most loving, caring kid and that his death has been unbearable and devastating to the family. His father is unable to work, to sleep without medication or to eat much, and the littlest things trigger him, she said.
The aunt said Wilson’s family will say Wilson is so young and has a family.
“My nephew never got to make a family,” she said. “He won’t be able to experience the joy of having a wife … to have kids.”
Wilson’s mother, Freddylynn, said, “We struggled for five years” with taunting, harassment, badgering and name-calling from the other family.
She accused Kahooiliaha’s father of using an obscenity Tuesday against her in the courthouse. “We allowed them to do that because we’re not that kind of people.”
“I’m sorry for the death of Troy, but I believe my son, and for these five years my son sacrificed a lot,” Wilson said. “I want you to know that we suffered for these five years.”
Cristal Ah Nee said that, yes, her husband has been “out free living his life, but five years we’ve struggled. He worked every single day. … He tries to be strong for all of us. I know he’s innocent.”
She said of her children, “I don’t know how to break this to them,” if he’s sent to prison.
She said: “His story has never changed. This was not Pule’s fault. He’s not a monster. He lost a friend. Troy has always been in his heart.”
His brother, Brian DeMello said, “They turned him from a hero to a villain. … Everybody knows him as a good guy.”
