William “Billy” Sinclair was arrested after two days of evading police. Photos: KPD//Screenshot
A 51-year-old man is in custody after officials on Kauai spent days hunting for him. William “Billy” Robert Sinclair was arrested after a two-hour standoff in the ocean off Kapa’a, a town on the southeast shore of Kauai.
Sinclair was wanted for his alleged role in a second-degree murder and second-degree attempted murder case. According to Hawaii News Now, on the morning of Saturday, June 6, police were called to a death in Hanalei. It was soon classified as a homicide. The victim, according to Kauaʻi Police Chief Rudy Tai, was a 37-year-old man from Kīlauea. As of this writing, his name has not been released.
Police detectives began their murder investigation and soon discovered that Sinclair and the victim were “involved in an ongoing financial dispute,” prompting them to name Sinclair as a person of interest in the case. Before officials had finished processing the location of the homicide, they were called about gunfire at a home in Kīlauea that was associated with Sinclair. When officers spoke with Sinclair’s partner, they were told that Sinclair had been seen with a rifle near the home.
Assistant Chief Rose had nearby homes locked down and evacuated a handful of people in the immediate area, but police weren’t able to find Sinclair. Later, they found that someone else had sustained a grazing gunshot wound nearby.
The next day, someone reported that Sinclair’s motorcycle had been spotted at the Kapaʻa Skate Park. Although the murder suspect wasn’t there, they did seize the motorcycle. Residents were told they should shelter in place until Sinclair was found. On Monday, officers finally located him. He was near the library in Kapa’a, and after a pursuit Sinclair walked into the ocean. He stayed there for nearly two hours until he surrendered at just before 10 a.m. He had a handgun on his person when he was arrested.
“We understand people wanted information as quickly as possible, and we recognize how unsettling this situation was for residents across our island,” said Kauaʻi Mayor Derek Kawakami. “While there was a strong desire for updates throughout the search, law enforcement also had the responsibility of protecting the integrity of an active investigation… We try to lock down a scene as quick as we can. That was a difficult location to set up a perimeter because of neighboring residents, but we tried our best.”
The murder investigation is still ongoing.
