Accused killer was Accused killer Delmar J. Edmonds was honored as a hero in 1983 for pulling a co-worker from a burning car in the company's parking lot and staying with him until an ambulance arrived.
honored as hero
Delmar Edmonds' family asks
that he not be convicted
before a court trialBy Nelson Daranciang
ndaranciang@starbulletin.comFor that he received the Indianapolis Council of Federal Agencies Honor Award.
Eighteen years later, Edmonds is awaiting extradition to Hawaii in connection with the murder of a Kailua girl that occurred when he was a Marine stationed in Kaneohe.
Edmonds' family is asking people not to convict him before he has the opportunity to prove his innocence in court.
"And we're concerned that the Indianapolis authorities would be so quick to cooperate with officials from another state in setting a half-million-dollar bond and rushing to extradite a man who has had no criminal record, lived the life of a role-model citizen and has been a positive influence in his community as well as church," said Richard McClendon, Edmonds family spokesman.
Edmonds is charged with the March 14, 1975, murder of 13-year-old Dawn "Dede" Bustamante, who was abducted, raped, then shot in the head on a secluded road in Kailua.
He was arrested on July 17 and remains in custody in lieu of $500,000 bail.
"We were the ones who set the bail amount; the judge approved it," said Deputy City Prosecutor Rom Trader.
Hawaii officials have yet to submit their petition for Edmonds' extradition from Indiana, but they do not expect any major problems in bringing him to Hawaii to face the murder charge, Trader said.
McClendon said the Edmonds family questions how the case against the former Marine was renewed after 26 years.
"We're concerned, for instance, why a Naval Intelligence Service investigator who is reportedly married to the victim's sister became involved in the case when there is nothing in Deacon Edmonds' service record to indicate him being charged by the Marine Corps or anything implicating him in this case," he said.
McClendon said Edmonds' family members also take exception with the investigators' search of their home and questioning of friends and family.
"However the matter came to the attention of investigators is not relevant," Trader said. "During the investigation they interviewed more people and gained additional evidence."
Edmonds was a vehicle operator at the Naval Avionics Center in Indianapolis on Sept. 29, 1983, when he pulled a fellow employee from a burning car.
He was hired by the Navy Air Warfare Center in 1976 and resigned in April as a vehicle operator for Raytheon Technical Services, which privatized the center in 1997, said company spokeswoman Kristen Giddens.