StarBulletin.com

Murder suspect faces more charges


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POSTED: Wednesday, March 11, 2009

A man already in custody awaiting trial for murder, robbery and kidnapping in two separate attacks is facing more charges in connection with an earlier home-invasion robbery in which the murder victim was also a suspect.

An Oahu grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging Patrick Deguair, 31, with six counts each of first-degree robbery and kidnapping, burglary, using a firearm to commit the crimes and firearm possession.

The indictment charges Malufafo Vito with the same crimes and with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Circuit Judge Derrick Chan set bail for both men at $250,000 each.

The state says Deguair, Vito and two other men forced their way into a Maili home Nov. 27, 2007, carrying guns, wearing ski masks and identifying themselves as agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. They ordered the six occupants to the floor, demanded money and took items from the home.

During the robbery Deguair tried to handcuff a victim and Vito hit a victim on the head with a loaded revolver, the state says.

Deguair is already facing trial in state court for second-degree murder and kidnapping in connection with the execution-style killing of 24-year-old Jermaine Duckworth last March 27, and for first-degree robbery and four counts of kidnapping in connection with the April 3 robbery of Aiea Cue.

Tourists found Duckworth's body on some rocks below a cliff near Yokohama Bay beach. He had been shot in the back of the head. Police had previously arrested him as a suspect in the Maili home-invasion robbery.

Deguair's bail is $1 million in the murder and $2 million in the robbery.

Vito is already in custody, serving time for previous convictions.

A state judge sentenced him last November to 10 years in prison without the possibility for parole for first-degree burglary, drug and drug paraphernalia possession, second-degree theft and auto theft in three separate cases. When he committed those crimes, he was on probation in four other cases in which he had pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree burglary, second-degree burglary and auto theft, according to state court records.