http://khon.com/khon/display.cfm?storyID=11847

Posted: March 7, 2006 05:51 PM

Man accused of killing neighbor receives sentence

Manolo Morales

A man who killed his neighbor after arguing over loud music will serve 100

days in jail for manslaughter.

Kendall Edmonds admitted he hit the victim several times, but said he never

meant to kill him.

What started as a petty argument between two neighbors ended tragically at a

Pearl City apartment complex in August 2004. The victim was Michael Gillum,

who wanted Kendall Edmonds to keep the noise down. Edmonds, a Navy petty

officer stationed at Pearl Harbor at the time, struck Gillum once, knocking

him out, and then hit him four to five more times. Gillum died at the

hospital.

"There isn't a day that goes by that the image of you beating my brother

isn't on my mind," testifies Patrice Collins, victim's sister.

"My life has changed dramatically. There's not a day that goes by that I

don't think about Michael," testifies Roy Anoba, victim's friend.

Friends and family testified tearfully in Circuit Court. They expressed

sadness for Gillum's teenaged daughter. He was raising her as a single dad.

She was also home when the fight happened.

"All Michael wanted was his daughter to be able to get some sleep so she

could get up and go to school," says Collins.

Edmonds' attorney argued that Gillum started the fight by throwing the first

punch. He said Gillum also used racial slurs to provoke Edmonds.

"Mr. Gillum called him a very, very dirty name," says William Bento, defense

attorney.

"A lot of people would just walk away from something like that, and I tried

my best and I wasn't the bigger man that walked away, and I regret that

happened," says Edmonds.

Edmonds was originally charged with murder but pleaded guilty to

manslaughter. The prosecutor asked for a 20-year sentence, but Judge Karl

Sakamoto gave Edmonds 100 days and 10 years probation. Gillum's family and

friends had no comment about the sentence.