Newswatch
A man died of extensive head injuries after he was bludgeoned with a claw hammer Saturday morning in the courtyard of the University Avenue Burger King. Man dies after being
beaten with hammerThe victim, Paul Aldrich, 44, was pronounced dead three hours after arriving at Queen's Hospital.
Police recovered what appeared to be a framing hammer, longer than the standard sized 14-inch, 16 ounce hammer, with blood on it in a discarded laundry basket in the back parking lot of the restaurant.
The suspect was last seen fleeing down Metcalf Street. One witness reported he may have jumped into a blue pickup truck parked in the back lot.
John Hunt, 25, who lives next door at the Atherton YMCA, was trying to catch a few more minutes of sleep after being awakened by passing cars when he heard three loud banging noises followed by a high-pitched scream just before 7 a.m.
"I just thought it was a crazy guy hitting the table," said Hunt, who witnessed part of the attack. He looked out the window that partially overlooks the Burger King and saw what appeared to be a man attacking one of the outdoor tables - hitting downward three to five times, Hunt said. He could hear the man grunting with the effort and hear the object in the man's hand making contact, but a low wall and bushes obscured what he was hitting.
The suspect, who had fuzzy sandy brown hair, stood about 5-foot-8 and wore a graying blue T-shirt, then walked away toward Metcalf Street.
A dispute over management of Kamehameha Schools by Bishop Estate is turning ugly. Kamehameha dispute
'like a civil war'"It's like a civil war that's forcing people to take sides, dividing good friends," said 17-year-old Jordan Chun, a Kamehameha junior. "Right now, everybody's mad at the trustees who seem to be thinking more about themselves than the school."
Frustrated faculty, parents and alumni are planning a public protest against the trustees Thursday.
The group plans to meet at 10 a.m. and march from the Royal Mausoleum in Nuuanu - where the school's benefactor, Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, is buried - to the Kamehameha statue fronting the Supreme Court building on King Street.
"What we want to accomplish is show the trustees that many people are concerned about this, not just a few rabble-rousers," said Roy Benham, a Kamehameha graduate and former president of the alumni association.
"The trustees should set the broad policy and direction of the school and let the president implement it," Benham added.
Trustee Lokelani Lindsey, a former Maui District Schools superintendent, has reportedly assumed administrative control, usurping school President Michael Chun's position.
Officials of the Hilton Hawaiian Village repeatedly denied Friday that they sought or made any "backdoor deal" to retain control of the famous pier fronting the hotel. Hilton denies seeking
secret deal for pierBut the general manager of Voyager Submarines said the state has been shortchanged by up to $3 million over the last several years because Hilton and its operating partner, Atlantis Submarines, paid less rent for the Waikiki pier than what other tour operators pay for less desireable locations.
The differing comments came as the Board of Land and Natural Resources considered a recommendation to revoke Hilton's permit and sell a new lease or concession to the highest bidder at a public auction.
The auction, if approved by the board, would mark the end of the hotel's exclusive nonbid control of the landmark pier dating back more than 30 years. But legal questions raised during three hours of testimony and discussion prompted the board to defer action until a future meeting.
Hilton attorney Robert Bruce Graham Jr. and General Manager Peter Schall tried to reassure the board that the hotel never sought or received unwarranted treatment.
"We have never worked with the state or staff to get a backdoor deal," Schall said. "We were willing to pay fair market value and we continue to be."
