News 8 has learned that Sharon Akiki died last weekend from a stroke. She was 45 years old.
If you weren't living in San Diego in the early 90s, her name might not sound familiar. But she and her husband Dale were part of the biggest trial in San Diego history.
Sharon Akiki stood by her husband's side, even through the worst of times. Back in 1991 Akiki was accused of everything from molesting children to killing wild animals in front of them. It supposedly happened while he volunteered at the Spring Valley Church, where Sharon worked in the preschool. She was never charged, but prosecutors alleged that she conspired with her husband to abuse the children.
Dale ended up facing charges on nearly 3 dozen counts of committing serious crimes, even though there was never any physical evidence. Many believe it was all because some church members - including big donors to the district attorney's campaign - didn't like Dale's physical appearance. He suffered from Noonan Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder which left him with an enlarged head, a concave chest and club feet.
His trial went 7 and a half months and included 150 witnesses. It took jurors just 7 hours to reach their verdict of not guilty.
The trial ended up being a big factor in DA Ed Miller being voted out of office after 24 years of service.
