The father of slain teenager Steven Wilcox said he believes "justice was done" by a jury that convicted his son's killer of manslaughter instead of murder.

The 10-man, two-woman jury deliberated 2 1/2 days before finding Glenn Keohokapu Jr. guilty of the lesser offense yesterday afternoon.

Punishment for a manslaughter conviction ranges from probation to 20 years in prison. Deputy Prosecutor Kristine Yoo said after the verdict her office intends to seek an extended term of life in prison with the possibility of parole — the same sentence as for a murder conviction — because of Keohokapu's past criminal record.

Keohokapu, 36, has been convicted of six felony offenses, including robbery and burglary, and seven misdemeanors, including three charges of abuse of a household member.

He had been accused by his wife of domestic violence shortly before the June 8, 2008, altercation with Wilcox outside a Kane'ohe bar, court records show.

Under new sentencing procedures in state court, a jury must determine if a defendant should be sentenced to an extended term of imprisonment, so the judge in Keohokapu's trial, Virginia Crandall, told members of the jury that they may have to return to court later for sentencing matters.

Crandall set sentencing for June 21.

The courtroom was crowded with friends and relatives of Keohokapu and Wilcox when the jury verdict was returned.

Robert Wilcox, father of the victim, said afterward that he would have preferred a murder conviction but was satisfied with the verdict.

"All we ask is for justice," he said.

Yoo said outside court that she was "disappointed" by the manslaughter verdict and felt that sufficient evidence was presented to convict Keohokapu of murder.

Defense attorney Benjamin Ignacio also expressed disappointment in the verdict, saying he felt Keohokapu should have been found not guilty because he acted in self-defense.

Keohokapu testified during the trial that he armed himself with a knife because Wilcox, the aggressor in the fight, had a pair of brass knuckles.

He claimed that Wilcox "walked into the knife" after throwing a punch that Keohokapu dodged.

Yoo disputed that testimony, saying yesterday that the knife wound to Wilcox's heart had to have been delivered with "substantial force."

According to witnesses in the trial, Wilcox interceded in an argument between Keohokapu and his wife in the parking lot of Club Komomai in Kane'ohe shortly after midnight.

Wilcox, 19, had used fake identification to drink beer and hard liquor in the bar earlier.

Prosecution witnesses said Keohokapu shoved his wife against the couple's car door, prompting Wilcox to say, "That's one female" and challenging Keohokapu to a fight.

Defense witnesses said Keohokapu's brother actually pushed Kauilani Keohokapu out of the open doorway of the vehicle while she was arguing with her husband.