Fatal blow similar to teen crime
By Gene Park
gpark@starbulletin.com
Prosecutors plan to use an accused killer's previous assault conviction as a juvenile as evidence of his "reckless state of mind."
Less Allen Schnabel Jr., 22, has been charged with manslaughter for fatally punching 34-year-old Christopher Reuther one year ago today, but as a teenager he was convicted of a similar crime that nearly killed another man.
Reuther was visiting Honolulu to consider attending law school at the University of Hawaii. On April 22 last year, Reuther was at Zablan Beach Park taking photographs when Schnabel allegedly false-cracked him, causing bleeding at the base of his brain.
When he was 17, Schnabel was convicted of first-degree assault in a similar incident at Nanakuli Beach Park after catching another man off guard with a punch, according to court documents.
On Sept. 1, 2002, the victim and Schnabel were at a birthday party with about 50 other people. A fight was about to begin, and the victim decided to leave before trouble started.
The victim went around shaking hands with various people "to be cool with everyone," including Schnabel, court documents state. When he shook Schnabel's hand, he was punched in the left side of his face, fell down and was kicked in the face by Schnabel several times.
The victim suffered a fractured orbital socket and backward displacement of his left eye. Medical officials said at the time that the victim nearly died and almost suffered a subdural hematoma, a traumatic brain injury.
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