Mother says,
‘I’d rather hang him’
if son is guilty

The son is accused of
urging a juvenile to shoot
and kill an Army pilot

By Rod Ohira
Star-Bulletin

It's heartbreaking for Georgette Hanohano to see her two children headed in opposite directions.

While her 21-year-old daughter is trying to become a police officer, Hanohano's son -- Bryson Poaokalani Jose -- has been charged with second-degree murder in the June 3 shooting death of vacationing Army helicopter pilot John Latchum Jr. at the Waianae Army Recreation Center.

"If he did it, I told him to tell the detectives because this is serious, a man died," Hanohano said.

"He told me (Tuesday) he didn't do anything.

"But if he had anything to do with it and I had my way, then I'd rather hang him for taking a life. I hear a lot of things about who's telling what to whom about the shooting, but he should know right from wrong."

Jose, 20, was arrested Tuesday night in Waianae and charged yesterday in federal court with murder. Jose's detention hearing is set for Monday at 9:30 a.m. before Magistrate Francis Yamashita, while his preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 23.

In a criminal complaint filed at federal court, FBI special agent Anthony Cardon III says another suspect, who admitted firing the shot from a .22-caliber rifle which killed Latchum, told police he did so at Jose's urging.

"The individual related that Jose was present and upon John Latchum yelling to them, Jose advised the individual to shoot him. At which time the individual fired the weapon," the affidavit says.

Don Wilkerson, Jose's attorney, said his client denies any involvement and will plead not guilty.

A 17-year-old boy, who is the alleged shooter, had a closed-door appearance yesterday before Yamashita. Both Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Johnson and Peter Wolff, the boy's attorney, declined comment after the appearance.

The boy was not attending school regularly and reportedly has nine prior arrests. He could be waived as a juvenile and tried as an adult.

Second-degree murder carries a life sentence but no death penalty.

According to Cardon's affidavit, Latchum's wife was watching television at about 1 a.m. when she heard the lock of the sliding glass door of cabin 48F being jiggled.

She saw about eight local males, between the ages of 16-18, on the lanai and yelled at them.

The group then fled from the lanai to an area of trees near the beach, the document says.

She woke her husband and together they went outside to the lanai where John Latchum yelled to the intruders.

"Latchum's wife heard what she thought was a firecracker, at which time her husband informed her that he had been shot," the affidavit said. "The males then ran from the area of the trees."

The 17-year-old boy who surrendered to authorities on Tuesday, waived his constitutional rights and admitted to police that he was in possession of the rifle and fired the shot.

Hanohano, at home, reflected on the federal charges facing her son.

About four hours before the 1 a.m. shooting, Hanohano received a report from a friend that her son was drinking and "acting up" at a Pokai Bay apartment building.

"Why drink when you cannot handle liquor, and, anyway, nobody supposed to give him liquor because he's 20," Hanohano said. "They told me he was acting lolo at 9 o'clock, running around trying to knock out the lights in the garage.

"We tried the best we could to keep him out of trouble but he keeps getting messed up. He never did listen, always wanting to do his own thing. I cannot hold Bryson in my house -- that's why I called the police on him so many times."

Hanohano said Bryson's father is in prison. She said her son spent most of his teen years at the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility and was charged earlier this year with auto theft. "I feel bad, especially for my daughter, because she worked hard to pass the police test and now this happens," Hanohano said. "I know she's hurting now."