A Puna man accused of shooting a Mountain View man to death with a shotgun pleaded not guilty Monday to second-degree murder.
Dwayne “CJ” Cory Wallace Jr., 26, briefly appeared in court for an initial appearance on charges of second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a separate felony, carrying a loaded firearm on a public highway, three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and methamphetamine possession.
Wallace was charged after an incident Aug. 25, in which he was allegedly seen shooting to death 26-year-old Peter Cyrus Grammer on North Kulani Road in Mountain View.
Wallace was located and arrested without incident Friday in Orchidland. At the time of arrest, Wallace was in possession of a loaded shotgun.
During Wallace’s initial appearance Monday, his attorney, Deputy Public Defender Jonas Krave, moved to withdraw his counsel because of a conflict of interest — Krave said he represented Grammer in the past. Krave was replaced as counsel by attorney Francis Alcain, who filed a motion to reduce Wallace’s $1.16 million bail to $500,000.
Hilo District Judge Harry Freitas ruled against reducing Wallace’s bail, concluding the violent nature of the charges, as well as Wallace’s criminal history — Wallace has convictions for 15 offenses since 2013, including a felony domestic abuse conviction in 2015 — presented a considerable risk to public safety.
Wallace pleaded not guilty to all charges. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Email Michael Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com.