Mistrial declared in cop-killing case

Sandra Chereb

Friday, Jan. 15, 1999 | 12:52 p.m.

RENO, Nev. -- A mistrial was declared today in the case of a man accused of killing a University of Nevada, Reno police officer one year ago.

Washoe District Judge Connie Steinheimer declared the mistrial in the case of Siaosi Vanisi.

The officer, Sgt. George Sullivan, was found bludgeoned to death, the victim of numerous hatchet blows.

The judge granted the mistrial after defense lawyers argued they based their entire defense on the notion that another person had committed the crime.

That theory was based on a transcript of a police interview of a witness, Chaitra Hanke, that apparently was copied down wrong.

District Attorney Dick Gammick said that Chaitra Hanke told detectives in an interview that another man named Manoa had told her of a conversation he had with Sateki Taukiuvea, also know as Teki.

According to Gammick, Manoa told Hanke that he was talking on the phone with Teki when Teki reportedly said he had to hang up because "Baya" had just committed a 187, referring to the California Penal Code for murder.

Baya is one of Vanisi's nicknames.

But in the transcript of Hanke's interview with police, the statement was erroneously transcribed to read that Teki had said "I" just did a 187, a copy of the transcipt shows.

Defense lawyers argued they had based Vanisi's defense on that statement and the suggestion that Taukiuvea had killed Sullivan, and that it would be unfair to proceed with the trial.

Steinheimer granted the mistrial, but ordered Vanisi to remain in custody. Prosecutors said they would seek a new trial. Lawyers were scheduled to be in court next Tuesday to set a new trial date.