Christopher Reuther was killed last year by a "brutal, calculated, unprovoked strike to the head," prosecutor Darrell Wong said this morning as the manslaughter trial of Less Schnabel Jr. began in Circuit Court.

Not so, defense attorney Debra K. Loy, told the jury. Schnabel defended himself when Reuther "lunged toward Less with both hands raised," Loy said.

Schnabel, 22, is charged with one count of manslaughter and a count of unauthorized entry into Reuther's rental car.

Reuther, 34, of Chapel Hill, N.C., was being recruited to attend law school at the University of Hawai'i.

He arrived the afternoon of April 22, 2007, rented a car and went to Zablan Beach Park at 11 p.m. after attending a luau on the Leeward Coast.

Schnabel allegedly assaulted him after Reuther took a photograph of him at the beach park.