Two suspects in the death of Eisely Richard, a 34-year-old man, have been charged with Murder in the Second Degree, Manslaughter, and Assault in the First Degree, and are being held in jail with bonds set at $50,000 and $30,000 respectively.
The two suspects, Hopkins Ngirailild and Nobby Jay were arrested and charged on Sunday, January 30th, and appeared yesterday for a court hearing. According to information from the Ministry of Justice, defendant Hopkins Ngirailild’s bail was set at $50,000 and Nobby Jay’s was set at $30,000.
Based on the police affidavit, Mr. Eisely Richard was found lying unconscious in front of Sonia’s Beauty Salon across from Taj Restaurant with extensive bodily wounds and bleeding from the head at around 3 am Friday. He was taken to Belau National Hospital’s emergency room where they attempted to stabilize him but he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at 4:07 am.
A PDC security guard reported seeing Mr. Richard visibly drunk earlier that night, resting on the front hood of a white SUV in front of the beauty salon and eventually falling asleep on the ground next to the SUV. The guard reported that he checked on Richard and found him sleeping and went back to his post.
The guard reported that he saw three men approaching the spot where Richard was sleeping from the direction of the Bank of Guam. He said he recognized them because in the four years that he had worked there, they frequently roamed the area. He further reported that he heard unusual noises coming from where Richard was sleeping and went to check. He saw the same three men attacking Richard with wooden sticks, rock, and what looked like a pelican case, so he called 911. He said the men fled when the police arrived.
Based on CCTV camera footage of the area, the police officers were able to identify the three men in the same area. The footage matches the suspects Hopkins Ngirailild, Nobby Jay, and a juvenile. The guard confirmed the people in the CCTV camera footage are the same people he saw attacking Eisely Richard. Both suspects are 19 years of age and were charged as adults.
Murder In The Second Degree is a Class A Felony with a punishment of life imprisonment with the possibility of parole. The length of imprisonment will be set by the court but can not be less than 20 years. Manslaughter, also a Class A felony, is punishable by 1-25 years imprisonment without possibility of suspension and an optional fine of $50,000. Assault in the First Degree is a Class B felony charge punishable by 1 to 10 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $10,000.
The defendants are assumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.