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Over two decades ago in January 2002, Albert Pacheco, a Hawaii Police Department officer, fatally shot his wife Cathalene ''Cathy'' Pacheco on a residential street in Waikoloa, after she allegedly informed him of her wishes to separate from him.
While driving his police-subsidized car, Pacheco ran into his wife's van, according to a witness. He then walked over to the van, shot her over a dozen times, and then called 911, informing his fellow officers about the incident.
According to reports, in 2004, Albert Pacheco accepted a plea deal before pleading guilty and was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 15 years for second-degree murder and 20 years for carrying or use of a firearm in the commission of a separate felony.
Pacheco is currently serving time at a Hawaii state prison and will be eligible for parole earlier than expected in about nine years' time due to changes made by the parole board.
ID's American Monster will further examine the case of Cathy and Albert Pacheco in an upcoming episode titled Gone Hunting, which premieres this Sunday, January 15, 2023, at 9.00 pm ET.
The synopsis reads:
"Police officer Albert Pacheco and his wife Cathy live on Hawaii's Big Island, raising four kids in the bosom of their close-knit church community; what looks like a household steeped in traditional goodness is hiding something evil."
Albert Pacheco pleaded guilty to two charges in 2004 for murdering his realtor wife
In August 2004, Albert Pacheco pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and a firearms violation over two years after shooting his wife Cathalene "Cathy" Pacheco multiple times in Waikoloa. Authorities asserted that he ran his police subsidized car into his wife's van, walked over to her vehicle, and then riddled her head with bullets, over marital problems.
The victim had moved out of her family's home and into the residence of an acquaintance, according to Cathy Pacheco's paddle coach Heidi Hemmings. It was later discovered that Pacheco was physically assaulting his wife and that "she was deathly afraid of him."
Pacheco was eventually sentenced consecutively to a total of at least 40 years to life in prison. However, a new minimum term established by the Hawaii Paroling Authority will allow the former Big Island police officer, who is currently serving time for killing his wife over 20 years ago, an early release after serving at least nine more years in prison before becoming eligible for parole.
Cathy's eldest daughter recalls horrifying incident with stepfather Albert Pacheco
When the parole board initially modified Albert Pacheco's minimum sentence earlier in December 2004 to 30 years for the murder charge and 10 years for the firearms charge, it prolonged Albert's eligibility for parole until December 2041, when he is 85 years old.
However, in response to his plea, the parole board reevaluated his minimum sentence in October 2022, ultimately reducing his sentence to a minimum of 20 years in prison.
Albert Pacheco is currently serving time at a Hawaii state prison and will be eligible for parole in 2031.
Shannon Au, Cathy Pacheco's eldest daughter from her previous marriage, reportedly recalled the horrifying incident when her stepfather, her mother's killer, sternly asked her to "ask my mother if she wanted to die young."
According to KITV, Au further said:
"This was truly a horrific murder. It's a situation where a husband who was a police detective at the time, hunted down his wife, ran her off the road before shooting her 14 times. Any further reduction of his minimum term at this time would be a miscarriage of justice."
American Monster airs on ID this Sunday, January 15, 2023.
