Former Tripler hospital medic admits to arranging wife’s murder at Aliamanu home
A former Army medic pleaded guilty this morning in U.S. District Court in Honolulu to aiding and abetting the murder of his wife.
Michael Walker was scheduled to go to trial next month for the November 2014 stabbing death of Catherine Walker. He was facing a possible life prison term for capital murder.
He pleaded guilty instead to second-degree murder, which does not carry a mandatory life prison term, in a deal with the government.
His lawyer Birney Bervar said prosecutors had never offered letting Walker plead guilty to a reduced charge until a few days ago. He said Walker is facing a prison term of between 24 and 30 years at sentencing in February.
Walker pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting Ailsa Jackson, who pleaded guilty to murder in 2015 and was scheduled to testify against Walker in trial. She too is scheduled to be sentenced in February.
Jackson admitted that she entered the Walkers’ Aliamanu Military Reservation quarters with the key Michael Walker had provided her and stabbed Catherine Walker with a kitchen knife she found in the home.
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At the time of the stabbing, Jackson lived with her parents in another part of the military reservation.
The government says Walker and Jackson were involved in a sexual relationship and that Walker convinced Jackson to kill his wife while he was at work at Tripler Army Medical Center.