Kauai police arrest man after 50-hour manhunt in Hanalei homicide case
Police arrested William “Billy” Sinclair after a 50-hour hunt tied to a Hanalei homicide and a Kīlauea shooting. A resident was grazed by a bullet, and Kilauea Road was closed during the search.
Kauai police ended a 50-hour manhunt Monday morning when officers took William “Billy” Sinclair, 51, of Kīlauea, into custody near the Kapaa Public Library. The arrest closed a tense weekend search tied to a Hanalei homicide, a separate shooting in Kīlauea, and a public warning that Sinclair should be treated as armed and dangerous.
The case began at about 12:50 a.m. Saturday, June 6, when officers responded to a report of a suspicious death in Hanalei. Investigators later determined the death was a homicide. Hours later, at about 4:45 a.m., police responded to gunshots in the Kīlauea area and learned that a Kīlauea resident had been grazed by a bullet. The victim suffered minor, non-life-threatening injuries.
Police linked Sinclair to a black, low-rider Harley-Davidson motorcycle with Hawaii license plate 596-XPC and urged the public not to approach him. During the active investigation, Kilauea Road was closed or avoided as officers worked the area. Police also warned that anyone helping Sinclair evade arrest could face hindering-prosecution charges, which carry a penalty of up to five years in prison.
The search ended Monday at 9:55 a.m. when officers located Sinclair near the Kapaa Public Library. A foot pursuit followed, and Sinclair entered the ocean behind the library as officers tried to negotiate his surrender. He was taken into custody after remaining in the water while police worked to bring him in safely.
Police Chief Rudy Tai announced the arrest at a Monday briefing. The capture brought relief to some residents who had spent the weekend tracking alerts across the North Shore and east side. One local said the two-day manhunt left her family “on pins and needles” until Sinclair was arrested.
Police later said Sinclair had previous firearms-related charges in California. With Sinclair now in custody, investigators are continuing to sort out the homicide in Hanalei, the Kīlauea shooting, and the chain of events that tied the two scenes together across Kauai.
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