Autopsy finds wife stabbed 100 times
She did not die right away, the medical examiner concludes
The 82-year-old Canadian woman killed at the Ilikai Waikiki Hotel tried to defend herself but suffered more than 100 stab wounds, according to the Honolulu chief medical examiner.
"It was a brutal murder case, as far as I'm concerned," said Dr. Kanthi De Alwis, of the city Department of the Medical Examiner, who performed the autopsy on Ingeborg Zollnor Jandura of Edmonton, Alberta.
An Oahu grand jury indicted the victim's husband, 83-year-old Tadeusz Zygmunt "Ted" Jandura, yesterday on a charge of second-degree murder for allegedly causing his wife's death last weekend.
Prosecutors are alleging that Ingeborg Jandura's death was "especially heinous, atrocious and cruel," warranting a penalty of life without parole for her husband, if convicted.
At the prosecution's request, Circuit Judge Derrick Chan ordered that Jandura be held without bail, subject to further hearing. Jandura's bail initially had been set at $1 million.
According to Deputy Prosecutor Rom Trader, police responded at 9:25 a.m. Feb. 25 to an argument call at the Janduras' 13th-floor Ilikai room. Police officers were met by Jandura, who told them, "My wife is dead. I killed my wife," Trader said.
Police found her covered with dried blood on a bed inside the unit. Based on autopsy findings, De Alwis said the stabbing could have happened hours before police were called, though she declined to state a length of time.
Ingeborg Jandura suffered more than 100 stab wounds "predominantly on her head, face, neck and the front and back of her chest," De Alwis said.
In 22 years of performing autopsies, De Alwis said it was the first time she had performed an autopsy on a victim with so many stab wounds. She had seen 50 to 60 fatal stab wounds but never more than 100.
"Based upon the type of fatal wounds -- it not being an instantaneous death -- in my opinion, she suffered pain," De Alwis said.
She declined to divulge details of the autopsy findings that indicated the woman had attempted to defend herself.
Prosecutors contend that Jandura is subject to a life term without parole because the victim was 60 years or older.
Ingeborg Jandura, born in Bad Pyrmont, Germany, turned 82 on Feb. 19. She and her husband, born in Suchodalka, Poland, are from Edmonton. The couple had a 3-month lease on the unit at the Ilikai Waikiki Hotel and had been staying there since Dec. 12.
According to documents filed at the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta, Judicial District of Edmonton, the couple were married in Germany on July 19, 1948.
They separated in June 2003. Divorce proceedings were sought in June 2004 after the couple had been living apart for more than a year. Based on court documents, divorce proceedings were discontinued in June 2005.
