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Man, 46, A 46-year-old man was convicted of second-degree murder in Circuit Court today for the strangulation death of his girlfriend in 1998.
convicted in
woman’s death
Steven Villa faces a
mandatory life term with
parole in the strangulation
death of his girlfriend, 35By Treena Shapiro
Star-BulletinSteven Villa faces a mandatory life term with parole for the death of Jolene Shott.
Shott, 35, was found in her Waikiki apartment on Feb. 27, 1998, with a belt wrapped twice around her neck and tied behind her back. Her scalp was split open, two ribs were broken, she had dislocated shoulders and numerous bruises, indicating that she had been severely beaten before her murder.
There was no evidence that anything had been taken from her apartment.
Both prosecuting and defense attorneys said the relationship between Villa and Shott had been abusive. Shott, a Red Lobster waitress, had been planning to leave Hawaii as soon as she saved $5,000, according to the prosecution. She had more than $4,000 at the time of her death.
"She was almost there and the defendant knew that," said deputy prosecutor Lynne McGivern in closing arguments Friday.
Pointing to evidence and testimony from people acquainted with the couple, Villa had a history of abuse against Shott, she said.
He once hit her in the head in public. She had had blackened eyes, a swollen face, a split lip and bruises on various parts of her body. On occasion, her ribs were so sore she couldn't carry trays at work, McGivern said.
To exert control over Shott, Villa rented the apartment beneath hers, she said. "He was losing the power or control over her that he had had," McGivern said. "He took her life because she was trying to make a life without him."
But deputy public defender Ronnie Kawakami said the case was based on circumstantial evidence and, while Villa may be the most likely killer, there was no physical evidence linking him to the case. There was no DNA-testing, no fingerprinting, no testing to see if blood had been washed off in the bathroom, she said.
The police officer investigating the case "slapped blinders on," and didn't look for evidence that may have implicated another person or exonerated Villa, she said.
While acknowledging the abuse, Kawakami suggested that Shott also was abusive. She argued that Villa didn't have as much control over Shott as the prosecution had claimed because she was able to party and go to the beach with male friends both with and without Villa.
Kawakami also said that rather than trying to prevent Shott from moving to the mainland, he was helping her to find the best deal on airfare, although, as McGivern pointed out, he never bought the ticket.
During the five days between Shott's murder and the discovery of her body, the prosecution said Villa behaved strangely. He stopped going to work. He failed to return a car he and Shott had rented the day before her death. He went alone to bars and restaurants the couple had frequented. He also failed to report her missing.
But Kawakami argued that Villa's behavior could be attributed to the couple's breakup. She also pointed out that one independent witness said he had seen Villa acting normally. "He didn't act guilty because he wasn't guilty," she said.
Debra Barayuga contributed to this report.