SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Feb. 19, 2025 (Gephardt Daily) -- Molitoni Fisiki Vainuku was sentenced Tuesday for the murder of Halapaini Moala at a downtown Salt Lake City nightclub, the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday.
On June 4, 2023, Moala "was at an after-party at the New Yorker when one of his friends pointed out that the defendant and 'his boys' were staring at them," the DA's news release says.
"As the club began to close up, Mr. Moala and his friends headed out to the parking lot. As they walked up some stairs to leave, the defendant said something to them. Mr. Moala and his friend looked at each other like, 'Wait, what did he say?' When they looked back at the defendant, he said, 'Are you tripping? Are you tripping?'
Vainuku "then pulled out a gun and shot Mr. Moala," the DA's news release says, adding that Vainuku "then fled the scene."
On Dec. 19 of last year, Vainuku entered a guilty plea on the sole count of first-degree felony murder. A third district court judge sentenced the defendant to not less than 15 years in prison.
“This senseless act of violence is hard to comprehend," Sim Gill, Salt Lake County District Attorney, said in the release.
Photo: Gephardt Daily/ Patrick Benedict
"The defendant is a risk to the community and belongs behind bars. We understand that Mr. Moala played a big part in the lives of his family members, and they have suffered an immense loss since his death. We hope they see this conviction and sentence as justice being served, though it may not be perfect justice, if it was perfect, their son and brother would still be here."
Gill thanked prosecutors Abby Brinkerhoff and John Ham their support staff, along with detectives from the Salt Lake City Police Department.
Halapaini Moala photo from gofundme.com/f/halapaini-moala-latu
