A homeless man was acquitted yesterday of a murder charge that kept him behind bars for nearly three years while he awaited trial.

A Circuit Court jury found John Kalani Lanoza, 42, not guilty of murder in the stabbing of a woman at a Nanakuli beach early Dec. 7, 2003. Lanoza was arrested that day and had been in custody, unable to post $100,000 bail.

During the trial, the prosecution maintained that Lanoza stabbed Stella Hoopii, 42, but Lanoza testified he didn't mean to kill her.

Lanoza's lawyer, Jerry Wilson, said Hoopii had stolen $1,100 in cash from Lanoza earlier, then returned to Lanoza's tent and tossed a knife from hand to hand to get in position to stab him. But she dropped the knife and Lanoza grabbed it and swung it behind him, stabbing her in the neck, Wilson said.

Wilson said the autopsy showed Hoopii had been using crystal methamphetamine.

Lanoza had received the money from Social Security and state welfare payments, Wilson said.

Lanoza suffered a brain injury and was left partially paralyzed on his left side from being hit twice on a moped in 2000 and 2001, the lawyer said.

Lanoza rose to hear the verdict, then fell back into his wheelchair when it was announced and hugged Wilson.

"Three years, judge," Wilson told Circuit Judge Richard Perkins in apologizing about the outpouring of emotion.

When Perkins told Lanoza he was discharged from the case, Lanoza thanked the jury.

"Thank you, very much," he told them.

The jury deliberated for about an hour Tuesday and all day yesterday before returning the verdict.

"Basically, the prosecution did not prove its case," said a juror, who asked that her name not be used.

City Deputy Prosecutor Franklin Pacarro Jr., who handled the trial, could not be reached for comment.

Reach Ken Kobayashi at kkobayashi@honoluluadvertiser.com.