Judge allows murder suspect to travel to Las Vegas
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A Circuit Court judge has granted Ray T.K. Sheldon, awaiting a murder trial in the shooting death of a 31-year-old man, permission to travel to Las Vegas this week.
Sheldon filed a motion Aug. 31 for permission to leave the jurisdiction to watch his daughter play in a volleyball tournament scheduled for Friday and Saturday.
Judge Kevin Souza granted the motion Friday over the state’s objection.
A mistrial was declared Aug. 26 in Sheldon’s murder trial when the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. A new trial is scheduled for Dec. 5.
Sheldon claimed self-defense when he fired a rifle and a handgun the night of April 19, 2019, at Hansen Apo in front of his Punaluu house, then dragged the body to a banana patch behind his home.
Sheldon said for seven years he had feared Apo, who had just gotten out of prison.
But the state argued that there was no imminent danger for Sheldon to fire a gun at the point he did, that he had enough time to retreat into his home and that he did not fear Apo but was just sick of him.
Sheldon has been out on $500,000 bail since June 20, 2019.
His bail amount was
initially set at
$1 million after his April 25, 2019, indictment, but his attorney asked for and received a 50% reduction in bail.
Souza’s order Friday allowing Sheldon to travel waives his curfew condition while in Las Vegas and requires him to remain in Las Vegas “until he returns to Oahu except for going to and from airports and flight layovers, if necessary.”
He must immediately phone the Oahu Intake Service Center upon his return to Oahu and then must report in person within 10 days of his return.
Sheldon’s attorney, Harrison Kiehm, has filed a motion to have the indictment dismissed, which will be heard Nov. 21.
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