A Kauai man who was twice convicted of murdering Aureo Moore at a lookout above Anahola Beach Park will instead serve 20 years in prison after a stipulated agreement with prosecutors reduced the charge to manslaughter. The Fifth Circuit Court approved the deal and imposed the sentence on Vicente Hilario on Wednesday, closing out a case that began with Moore's shooting death on Dec. 17, 2010.
The Office of the Prosecuting Attorney reached the agreement with Hilario after the case wound through 16 years and two jury trials, according to KHON2. The station reports the stipulated deal provides for a manslaughter conviction and a 20-year term of imprisonment, a resolution that followed years of legal wrangling after Moore was killed at the Anahola lookout.
Hilario was convicted of first-degree murder not once but twice over the course of the case, per the same KHON2 account. His first conviction was overturned by an appellate court after it found he had been denied the right to be present during jury selection. The Hawaiʻi Intermediate Court of Appeals concluded in a 2017 opinion that “the sidebar procedure used by the Circuit Court in this case violated Hilario's right to be present under HRPP Rule 43,” sending the case back for a new trial. A separate 2016 opinion from the same appellate court addressed an earlier judgment in the case, finding that the trial-delay period under Rule 48 had exceeded 180 days and vacating the July 25, 2013 judgment with instructions to remand the case for dismissal of the charges.
A Second Trial, A Second Conviction, A New Legal Fight
Hilario represented himself at his second trial, held in 2023, and a jury once again convicted him of first-degree murder, KHON2 reports. According to Kauai Now, that second jury reached its verdict on the third day of deliberations, convicting Hilario on five counts: first-degree murder, second-degree murder, intimidating a witness, retaliating against a witness and bribery of a witness.
But the conviction did not end the litigation. Kauai Now reports that several issues concerning Hilario's constitutional rights were raised following the second trial. Prosecuting Attorney Rebecca Like said in a statement that her office had to weigh those issues carefully before deciding how to proceed. “Our responsibility as prosecutors requires us to carefully assess constitutional issues that may affect whether a conviction can stand on appeal,” Like said, according to Kauai Now.
Why Prosecutors Chose a Negotiated Resolution
Rather than risk another appeal that could unravel the second conviction entirely, prosecutors negotiated the stipulated agreement that the Fifth Circuit Court approved Wednesday. Like framed the deal as a way to secure a lasting outcome without further delay. “This agreement holds Mr. Hilario accountable through a manslaughter conviction and a substantial prison sentence while reducing the uncertainty of further litigation,” she said, per Kauai Now.
The case's long path from a 2010 killing through two trials and years of appellate fights to a 2026 negotiated plea underscores how drawn-out Hawaii's court process can become when procedural rulings repeatedly send cases back to square one, as Hawaii News Now noted in reporting that the case “spanned 16 years and two jury trials” before finally reaching resolution.
The County of Kaua'i announced the agreement on Facebook, confirming that the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney had reached the stipulated deal with Hilario for the manslaughter conviction and 20-year sentence in connection with Moore's death. The office's announcement also acknowledged the work of Kauaʻi Police Department sworn officers and civilian personnel throughout the long investigation and prosecution.
Like also addressed the toll the case took on Moore's family, recognizing the profound loss suffered by his loved ones and the years they endured watching the proceedings play out. With the Fifth Circuit Court's approval of the agreement and the imposition of the 20-year sentence, a case that outlasted two juries and repeated appellate review has reached its conclusion.
