Judge postpones hearing for Kauai man accused of murder

The prospect of discrepancies tied to the timeline of a fistfight and fatal stabbing has prompted a Kauai District Court judge to extend a preliminary hearing for a 37-year-old man charged with murder.

Francisco Keola Manuel has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and second-degree assault in the death of Gary A. Allianic Jr., 38.

Manuel is being held in lieu of $1 million bail after appearing at Kauai District Court before Judge Trudy Senda on Wednesday. His attorney, Mark Zenger, contends there are discrepancies in a detective’s account of the time a fight took place between the two men, and the hearing was continued to Oct. 19.

Manuel and Allianic, who had been friends, allegedly fought after Allianic learned that his ex-girlfriend was pregnant with Manuel’s baby.

According to a court document, sometime between 12:45 and 1 a.m. Sept. 26, the two men fought in the parking lot behind Garden Island Barbecue & Chinese Restaurant in Lihue.

Manuel brandished a small folding knife and allegedly stabbed Allianic six times in his lower left neck, upper left shoulder, chest and back.

During the fight, the pregnant woman was allegedly stabbed by Manuel. The woman, 30, suffered wounds to her lower left back after Allianic allegedly pulled her in front of him to shield himself from being stabbed by Manuel, according to a court document.

Allianic died at the scene, and Manuel and the woman fled on foot soon after, according to court documents. But the woman became weak due to her injuries, and Manuel called someone to transport her to Wilcox Memorial Hospital, documents said.

At about 4:45 a.m. a couple delivering newspapers found Allianic’s body in a pool of blood and contacted police. Officers located the folding knife used in the fatal incident lying next to a public bathroom near the scene.

That night, after a brief pursuit police, Manuel was arrested near the old Historic County Building in Lihue.

At Wednesday’s preliminary hearing, Zenger disputed that the fight could have occurred between 12:45 and 1 a.m. because a surveillance camera at Rob’s Good Time Grill shows Manuel’s girlfriend standing outside the Lihue Bowling Center near the sports bar at 12:57 a.m.

Zenger noted the woman had sent a text to Allianic at 12:43 a.m. to arrange a meeting. They allegedly met and had some kind of confrontation in the vicinity of the bowling center.

Manuel has a criminal history of third-degree assault, second-degree terroristic threatening, second-degree custodial interference involving his children and criminal contempt of court.