An Hawaii court has ordered the release of an American citizen wanted in Tonga for the alleged murder of his wife.
Dean Jay Fletcher taking a nap after arriving from Tonga in Pago Pago Photo: Tauva Esera
The court order followed a motion to dismiss the case by the US Department of Justice regarding Dean Jay Fletcher.
Mr Fletcher fled Tongan authorities to American Samoa where he was arrested last November by federal agents.
Tonga sought extradition and in January, the Honolulu federal court ruled the Secretary of State would make the final determination.
This week a letter from US State Department showed the Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, had denied Tonga's request for Mr Fletcher's extradition.
The State Department was concerned that if convicted, Mr Fletcher would have faced a mandatory penalty of death or life imprisonment under Tongan law.
The Department was also worried that without a federal public defender system, Mr Fletcher would not have proper legal representation, preventing a fair trial.