Edmonds fails A former Kaneohe Marine refused today to voluntarily return to Hawaii to face a charge he killed 13-year-old Dawn Bustamante 26 years ago.
to sign waiver
of extradition
Accused of murdering a
Kailua girl in 1975, he'll stay
in lockup until Cayetano
makes a formal requestBy Nelson Daranciang
ndaranciang@starbulletin.comDelmar Edmonds, 46, refused to sign a waiver of extradition, his defense attorney Marcel Pratt said.
Marion Superior Court Judge Richard Good recessed the extradition hearing until Aug. 28 to give Hawaii Gov. Ben Cayetano time to formally request Edmonds' return.
He will remain in the Marion County Lockup in lieu of $500,000 bail.
Edmonds appeared briefly in court this morning wearing the clothes he was arrested in a week earlier. About 20 friends and relatives showed up to show support for him.
"Everybody's behind Jerome," said family spokesman Richard McClendon said yesterday. "We know he didn't do it."
"I can say nothing but great things about him," said Latanya McClendon. "I can't think of anyone who has anything bad to say about him or his family as a whole."
The McClendons live next door to Edmonds in an Indianapolis suburb and have known him and his family for 10 years. They also attend the same church for which Edmonds is a deacon.
Edmonds is accused of killing Bustamante on a secluded road in Kailua on March 14, 1975 when Edmonds was a Marine assigned to the Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station. Bustamante was abducted, raped and shot in the head.
Edmonds was arrested in Indianapolis last week after Honolulu police detectives and investigators from the Naval Investigative Service reopened the case.
HPD homicide detective Hal Fitchett said 25 to 35 former Marines and others have been interviewed since the investigation was renewed two years ago. He said most were interviewed for the first time.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.