Kailua man pleads
not guilty to 2 slayings

Jason Perry, 23, is being held
in lieu of $5 million bail

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By Leila Fujimori
lfujimori@starbulletin.com

A 23-year-old Kailua man pleaded not guilty yesterday to two second-degree murder charges and one count of conspiracy in the deaths of Tracey Tominaga and Edward Fuller.

Deputy Prosecutor Chris Van Marter asked Circuit Judge Gail Nakatani to hold Jason Perry without bail because he poses a flight risk since he faces a life sentence with no parole, as well as a threat to those who are cooperating with the prosecutor's office.

Nakatani will hear evidence, including testimony from witnesses, on May 13 on whether to commit Perry without bail. He is being held in lieu of $5 million bail.

Van Marter said 50 taped statements were made.

"My son is not the monster they're trying to make him out to be," said Perry's mother, Cathy Tilley, outside the courtroom yesterday. "A lot of lies have been said about him."

Seven other men are being held for their alleged roles and are charged with conspiracy, hindering prosecution, attempted assault and assault.

None of the others have been charged with the murder.

On Jan. 21, Tominaga, 37, was punched, slapped, kicked and stomped on by Perry and his friends for about half an hour at a home in the mountains above Makakilo, a court document said. One man hit her over the head with a large branch, and another cut her face with a knife, the document said.

She was then handcuffed, her face taped, then allegedly strangled by Perry. Her body was then wrapped in a tarp and buried in a ravine, according to the document.

Van Marter said that on Jan. 26, Perry killed Edward Fuller, 40, by shooting him five times, once in the back of the head, with a semiautomatic weapon at Jack Lane in Nuuanu after Fuller learned of Tominaga's murder.

Perry allegedly bragged about killing Fuller, and a police investigation produced several witnesses.

Perry's private lawyer, David Bettencourt, said he was not given enough time to review the evidence to respond to Van Marter's request, which he said he received Thursday.

Nakatani asked Bettencourt if he would agree to a temporary commitment without bail until he had enough time to prepare, but he declined.

Bettencourt did, however, agree not to post bail until the matter is heard.