Murder Suspect, Capobianco to Stand Trial in April

The search for Charli Scott continues in East Maui. Photo courtesy Brittney Baker, March 22, 2015.

By Wendy Osher

A man accused of murdering his pregnant ex-girlfriend will stand trial next month.

Steven Capobianco faces second degree murder and arson charges in the death of 27-year-old Charli Scott, who was five months pregnant when she was reported missing in February of 2014.

A year after her disappearance, family and friends continue to conduct searches in the East Maui area for her remains.

Prosecutors reportedly claim Scott’s skirt was found with at least 20 holes in it, damage consistent with being made by a blade, according to Hawaii News Now and other broadcast outlets.

Family members say she drove out to the vicinity to help Capobianco, who reported to have car troubles.

A motion by the defense to dismiss charges was denied last week.

Trial has been set to start on Monday, April 27, 2015.

Steven Capobianco. July 15, 2014. File photo by Wendy Osher.

Family and friends of Charli Scott are backing legislation that seeks to change Hawaiʻi’s laws to include feticide and manslaughter of an unborn child as outlined in House Bill 1234.

A separate measure, House Bill 574 was introduced this session, “to better protect victims of violence by elevating heinous and torturous murders to first degree status,” in order to better reflect the severity of the crime.  That item was referred to the House Judiciary Committee in January.

Maui Search and Rescue joined members of the Scott family in releasing the following statement via their social media account today:

“We would like to thank all the volunteers who came to help us search for evidence in the Charli Scott case. Your help was immense and of incalculable value to us.  Please remember always, that when we search and clear an area, we have not just cleared it for Charli, but the many many other missing persons on Maui to date. Finding nothing is also a win in this case. What you did yesterday was in fact, for MANY families with missing loved ones… And we are grateful to our community for their willingness to WORK, cause this is not an easy task. Mahalo- MSAR and The Scott Family”