The High court has accepted a plea agreement for a 21-year-old man who was charged with the murder of his cousin in August of last year
Michael Schuster, originally charged with second degree murder, first degree assault and tampering or fabricating physical evidence has pled guilty to the amended charge of manslaughter and all other charges against him have been dismissed.
Chief Justice Michael Kruse, flanked by Associate Judge Muasau Tofili, said the court agrees with the facts of the case as presented by the Probation Office, that the charge of manslaughter was appropriate in this case, “that this was a hot blooded killing.”
He said the court is also satisfied that the defendant fully comprehends the consequences of his entering a plea agreement and that he was waiving certain rights provided by law.
The court ordered that the charge of second degree murder be amended to manslaughter, to which the defendant has entered a plea of guilty and all remaining charges are dismissed.
Schuster’s attorney Sharron Rancourt filed a motion to continue sentencing for her client because the head matai or sa’o of his family, Faiivae Alex Godinet, a key character witness, could not be present as he was attending a funeral.
The government did not object to the continuance.
The Chief Justice said that since Judge Muasau will be off island beginning tonight, he would not be available next week.
The new sentencing date for Schuster was set for January 29.
Under Schuster’s plea agreement which was presented to the court November 18, the defendant admitted that on the night of August 11, while he and his cousin were by themselves in a vehicle he was driving, he fatally stabbed his 23-year-old cousin Aiesi Nauitasina.
The cousin’s body was found in bushes near the Vailoa Taputimu intersection.
