Woman sentenced to life after second conviction in 1978 murder
By Jim Dooley
Advertiser Staff Writer
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Mary Ann Acker, convicted twice of the 1978 murder of Lawrence Hasker, was sentenced this morning to another life term in prison.
Acker, who now goes by the last name Bray, won a retrial in the murder case after the first guilty verdict, returned in 1982, was set aside.
She was convicted again this year, despite her assertions from the witness stand and again this morning that her ex-husband and co-defendant, William Acker, was the killer.
The couple was also found guilty and have been imprisoned in California for the murder of another man there that was committed shortly after the Hasker homicide.
“They should be held accountable for what they did, the ending of two young lives,” Deputy Prosecutor Landon Murata said this morning.
“It was a thrill ride for them,” Murata said.
Circuit Judge Michael Town sentenced Bray to another life sentence today. She has already served nearly 30 years of her first sentence and will be eligible for parole in two years, Murata said.
But the prosecutor’s office will ask that the Hawaii Paroling Authority require Acker to serve more prison time, Murata said.
Three sisters and the brother of Hasker attended the sentencing hearing this morning.
“We’re very happy with the outcome and the judge’s decision,” said Joseph Hasker.
Bray has “lied before and she was lying again” today in court when blamed William Acker for the killing, Hasker said.