Bail for Kīlauea homicide suspect raised to $1.5 million

William “Billy” Sinclair, 51, of Kīlauea, saw his bail rise to $1.5 million as Kauai prosecutors and police kept pressing a homicide case that began with a fatal call in Hanalei and widened into a separate attempted-homicide investigation. Sinclair remains in custody, and the higher bail reflects how seriously the court is treating the risk around the case.

Kauai County said the increase followed judicial review tied to evidence recovered during the investigation. Sinclair had previously been held on $500,000 bail. The jump to $1.5 million signals that prosecutors and the court viewed the allegations as carrying greater public-safety and flight concerns, especially because police had already described Sinclair as armed and dangerous while they searched for him across the island.

The case began just after midnight when Kauai police responded at about 12:50 a.m. Saturday, June 6, 2026, to a report of a suspicious death in Hanalei. Detectives later determined the death was a homicide, and police identified the victim as Sergio Reyes Hernandez, 37, of Kīlauea. Officials also said the investigation included a separate attempted-homicide and shooting incident, placing Sinclair at the center of more than one active criminal probe.

During the manhunt, police said Sinclair was associated with a black, low-rider Harley-Davidson bearing Hawaii license plate 596-XPC. He was last seen in the Kapaa area wearing a black leather vest with blue lettering, a blue-and-black face covering and carrying a brown-and-black backpack. He was taken into custody Monday, June 8, 2026, near the Kapaa Public Library after a foot pursuit and a standoff in the ocean behind the library.

Local reporting has said the fatal shooting stemmed from an ongoing financial dispute, not drugs or other criminal activity, adding a layer of personal conflict to a case that has moved quickly from the initial death report to arrest and a major bail increase. With Sinclair still held and the homicide and attempted-homicide inquiries continuing, the court record shows a case that is advancing fast and remains tightly tied to the island-wide investigation.