Even though the judge gave him
the possibility of parole, it's likely
the minimum time he'll serve
will be 100 yearsSchedule conflict may
By Rod Thompson
affect Schweitzer trial
Star-BulletinHILO -- Frank Pauline Jr., convicted of the 1991 murder of Dana Ireland, pointed his finger in court this morning at Ireland's sister Sandy and said police and prosecutors got the wrong man.
"All I can say is I'm sorry," he said. "I hope these people do make an effort to catch the real person."
Judge Riki May Amano sentenced him to three life terms with the possibility of parole for murder, kidnapping, and sexual assault.
The terms for the kidnapping and sexual assault will be served at the same time, but both will be served after the term for murder.
Even with parole possible, the likely effect is that Pauline will serve a minimum of 50 years for each of the sentences, for a combined minimum of 100 years.
The actual minimum terms will be set later by the Hawaii paroling authority.
The prosecution had asked for all sentences to be consecutive, effectively creating a minimum of about 150 years.
Pauline will begin serving these sentences after he completes his current prison sentence.
His prior offenses as an adult, for which he is now in prison, include sexual assault, theft and criminal trespass. His current sentence could last until 2004.
Defense attorney Clifford Hunt argued unsuccessfully that consecutive terms would in reality deny parole.
Pauline told the court and Sandy Ireland, seated with her husband Jim Ingham, that he had lied throughout his life, but it was the effect of drug addiction.
"I feel God is doing this to me for my lies," he said.
Before Pauline spoke, Sandy Ireland read a letter to the court from her father.
Dana's ashes are buried alongside the graves of her grandparents in her home state of Virginia.
"When we visit her gravesite, we are overcome with emotion. Our grief is overwhelming," John Ireland wrote.
John and his wife Louise can no longer sleep at night, they only catnap, he said.
"We have not had a good night's rest since Dana's death," he wrote.
"We cannot listen to music because Dana cannot hear it."
John and Louise avoid their friends. "We know we are not good company," he wrote.
Sentencing Pauline to the maximum would be a small compensation, he wrote.
Sandy added a brief personal comment that Dana was her best friend. Her death violated the whole community, she said. She too asked for the maximum sentence.
The right of victims or their survivors to speak at sentencing was guaranteed by the Legislature at the urging John Ireland. Before that, judges could chose to listen to victims or refuse.
John and Louise Ireland did not to come from Virginia for the sentencing.
Too many times, they prepared to fly to Hawaii, then learned that an event in the case had been postponed. Despite assurances, they feared it would happen again today.
But Louise knew what she would have said if she spoke to the judge.
"I would say it ruined our whole family, devastated us, and we haven't been the same since. I don't feel we can function right. It has been completely hell on Earth."
Schedule conflict may
Star-Bulletin staff
affect Schweitzer trialHILO -- Frank Pauline Jr., 26, was the first of three men to be tried for the death of Dana Ireland.
Albert Ian Schweitzer, 28, is set to be tried Nov. 15 by Judge Riki May Amano. But that date conflicts with another case before Amano.
Pauline is scheduled to go on trial Nov. 15 on a sex charge unrelated to Ireland. One of the trials will have to be moved.
Schweitzer is alleged to be the leader of the attack on Ireland.
"He is the one that killed Dana," said the victim's mother, Louise Ireland. "That's the one I want to see go down and go down good."
Schweitzer is also to be tried for an unrelated sex charge on May 22, 2000.
His brother Shawn, 24, is to be tried for the Ireland attack on March 6.
Dana Ireland Archive
