Murder Suspect in Supermarket Stabbing Changes Plea to Reduced Charges

Suspect Stephen B. Schmidt. PC: (5.22.17) by Wendy Osher.

A man accused of murdering his estranged wife at a Wailuku supermarket entered a change in plea on Wednesday afternoon to no contest for a reduced charge of second degree murder and other charges in connection with the case, according to court documents.

The charges stem from an April 19, 2016 incident at the Kehalani Foodland in Wailuku in which 24-year-old Kehau Farias Schmidt had her throat slashed, and two men who tried to intervene (James Reeves of Haʻikū and Scott Spencer “Kip” Stolsig of Wailuku) were stabbed.

Schmidt had initially entered not guilty pleas in May of 2016.

Kehau Farias Schmidt. File courtesy photo.

In addition to the reduced second degree murder charge for the death of his estranged wife, Schmidt also entered no contest pleas on Wednesday to an attempted second degree murder charge and a first degree assault charge in connection with the case.

A jury trail was scheduled to start next month, but under the plea deal, sentencing for the reduced charges is set for Dec. 20, 2018 at 9:30 a.m.