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Alleged shooter
elsewhere during
Ewa killing,
lawyer says

Joel Brunson was at home
when Robert Rodemio was killed
at a party, his lawyer says

---

By Debra Barayuga
Star-Bulletin

The attorney for a man on trial for the slaying of Robert Rodemio in Ewa Beach last May says police got the wrong guy.

Joel Keoni Brunson was at home watching his two younger brothers when Rodemio was shot, said defense attorney Myles Breiner during opening statements yesterday.

Breiner said police arrested Brunson and prosecutors charged him with second-degree murder despite "wildly conflicting" statements by witnesses identifying the shooter, witnesses who claim he was elsewhere when the shooting occurred, and despite a lack of physical and forensic evidence.

Brunson is on trial because of witnesses who either said or thought he looked like the shooter, Breiner said. One witness identified the shooter as someone "remotely not like Keoni."

Brunson, who was 17 at the time, is accused of fatally shooting Rodemio, 18, of Kalihi during a brawl outside a Miula Street home.

By Ken Ige, Star-Bulletin
The prosecutor says Joel Keoni Brunson came to a party
carrying a 9 mm semiautomatic gun. Robert Rodemio,
the victim, had attended the same party.

Brunson and Rodemio were among guests or friends of guests attending a birthday party for a 14-year-old girl on May 20. Brunson did go to the party earlier with his girlfriend, but he left after discovering that his ex-girlfriend was also there, Breiner said.

He told his current girlfriend to drive him home, allowed her to take his car to return to the party and told her to return for him later.

Rodemio died as a result of a fight between gang members from Ewa Beach and Kalihi, Breiner said. "Robert Rodemio went with a gang that provoked a fight, returned with lethal weapons, and as a result of that decision, he died."

But Deputy Prosecutor Franklin Pacarro said Brunson showed up at the party with his 15-year-old pregnant girlfriend and packing a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun " 'cause he wanted to show he was the man."

At least seven people who were at the party told police they either saw Brunson showing off a magazine clip or loading the gun, cocking it and pointing it at another youth about a half-hour before Rodemio was fatally shot.

At least one witness who has known Brunson for five years and lives near Brunson's father is expected to testify that he saw Brunson pointing the gun and shooting Rodemio.

Another witness, Ryan Villarta of Kalihi, told police that Brunson pointed a gun at his chest and challenged him to a fight at the party that night, while another youth brandished a knife.

Villarta said he had exchanged words with an Ewa youth he recognized as having damaged a friend's car at Pearlridge. A fight was about to break out between the Kalihi and Ewa youths when Brunson stepped forward, loaded a magazine into his gun, cocked it and pointed it at Villarta.

But Brunson's girlfriend intervened and pulled Brunson away, telling him " 'nuff already," Pacarro said.

Police officers arrived, but they weren't told about the threatening incident and instructed the youths to clear the street and return to the party.

Villarta and his friends went to another friend's house, got a few more youths to join them and returned to the party with bats, clubs and knives about a half-hour later. During the fight that broke out, Rodemio was shot twice in the back.