Francisco Labuanan, 74, of Haiku is awaiting trial on a second-degree murder charge. The Maui News/Gary Kubota

Shortly before her death Maui resident Cynthia Moore sent one of her children a text message saying she needed to get an airplane ticket to escape her violent husband, according to Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Frank Loyd.

Moore, 68, was beaten to death on Jan. 25. Her husband, Francisco Labuanan, 74, of Haiku, is scheduled to stand trial Sept. 22 on a charge of second-degree murder.

Labuanan has pleaded not guilty. He is being held without bail.

“He’s trained in boxing. He’s trained in (mixed martial arts). He should not be allowed in the community,” Maui County Deputy Prosecutor Frank Loyd said during a Feb. 12 bail hearing. “He lost that privilege when he brutally took the life of his own wife.”

According to Maui police, officers received a call at 7:34 a.m. Jan. 25 saying a woman had sustained an injury, possibly from a fall, at her home in Haiku. But police who investigated the death determined otherwise and arrested Labuanan.

At the bail hearing, Loyd said the violent nature of the offense in addition to his efforts to conceal evidence and his plan to sell his Haiku property should be enough to hold him without bail.

Loyd said Moore had multiple lacerations in her mouth, a knife laceration on her chin and at the top of her skull, severe bruising in the face, multiple broken ribs, a cut on her ear, missing teeth, and bruising along the neck consistent with having been in a headlock.

Loyd said the cause of Moore’s death was internal bleeding within the skull due to blunt force trauma to her head.

Loyd said detectives found bloody paper towels in the trashcan and Labuanan admitted to throwing away the shirt Moore was wearing at the time of the incident by going to a Haiku Community Center and putting it in a dumpster.

“There is also an indication from our evidence specialist that there were large amounts of blood that were cleaned up after the incident all throughout the house,” Loyd said. “His own actions indicate there will be an obstruction.”

He also said Lubuanan was convicted of misdemeanor abuse in 1996, and his two former wives have said he’s been violent with them.

Loyd added that the family has indicated Labuanan has family members with a large property in the Philippines, and if released, he could pose a flight risk.

“He’s actually admitted to speaking with a real estate agent to sell the property that he’s currently at,” Loyd said.

During the hearing, deputy public defender Danielle Sears argued Labuanan’s flight risk was all speculation, including the sale of his property.

“He has lived there for a very, very long time,” Sears said. “The court doesn’t have enough factors to deny bail altogether.”

Sears also said the court could allow bail and impose restrictions.

In issuing her decision to deny bail, Judge Hamman said Labuanan can request an evidentiary hearing if he wants to continue to pursue the request.

“At this point, based on what’s been represented, the court does have concerns about the risk of flight as well as the safety of the community, given the violent nature of the allegations,” Hamman said.