NOT GUILTY

Hawaii Woman Acquitted in Maui Cliff Crash That Killed Her Twin

Judge: Alexandria Duval likely lost control of vehicle as she was fighting with her sister.

A Hawaii woman accused of murdering her identical twin sister by deliberately driving off a Maui cliff was acquitted Thursday, just three days after her trial began. Alexandria Duval was behind the wheel of the Ford Explorer in which she and her sister, Anastasia Duval, plunged off a cliff in 2016. Anastasia died in the crash, and Alexandria was charged with second-degree murder after witnesses said they’d seen the two arguing inside the vehicle just prior to the crash. In handing down his not-guilty verdict Thursday, Judge Peter Cahill said both sisters appeared to have been “out of control” in the moments leading up to the accident. Witnesses had testified they’d seen Anastasia pulling her sister’s hair just before the crash. Cahill said it is “reasonable to conclude” the hair-pulling caused Alexandria to lose control of the vehicle. Birney Bervar, Duval’s defense attorney, said his client was “extremely relieved” after the verdict.