Trial begins in
Perry murder case
Jason Perry murdered Tracey Tominaga because she stole drugs and money from him, Deputy Prosecutor Chris Van Marter told a jury yesterday.
Five days later, Perry killed Edward Fuller because he believed Fuller was a police informant who knew about Perry's involvement in Tominaga's death, Van Marter said.
Defense attorney David Bettencourt told the jury that Perry only wanted to scare Tominaga and did not intend to physically harm her. And he said another man killed Fuller.
Perry, 24, is charged with two counts of second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. The jury heard opening statements in his trial yesterday before Circuit Judge Karen Ahn.
Van Marter said Tominaga, 37, told a friend that she was being pursued sexually by Perry and was not interested. Tominaga called Perry to come to her Kapahulu home on Jan. 18, 2002, where a friend pointed a shotgun at Perry, told him to apologize and warned him not to pursue Tominaga any further, Van Marter said.
During the encounter, Tominaga and her friend stole crystal methamphetamine and cash from Perry, Van Marter said.
Later, Van Marter said, Perry met his friend Ryan Onuma at a Waikiki hotel and told him he wanted to retaliate against Tominaga. "He retaliated and concocted a scheme to kill her."
On Jan. 21, 2002, Perry took Tominaga to a remote cabin on Palehua Road above Makakilo, Van Marter said. She was surrounded by Perry and six men. Van Marter said Perry pointed a semiautomatic gun at Tominaga and told her to smoke her last cigarette.
He and the others started slapping, kicking, punching and stomping on Tominaga for about 45 minutes. After she was handcuffed and her head covered with duct tape, Perry started to choke her, Van Marter said.
"He strangled her until he literally killed her," Van Marter said.
Her body was found in a shallow grave in April 2002.
Bettencourt said Perry's plan to scare Tominaga was interrupted when Delaneo Puha, 24, and two other men started to hit her. Bettencourt said Perry saw Puha hiding a weapon and grabbed him, saying, "Don't do that."
On April 21 a jury convicted Puha of criminal conspiracy, second-degree attempted assault and hindering prosecution in the Tominaga case.
Van Marter said that on Jan. 26, 2002, Onuma dropped Perry and Fuller off on Jack Lane in Nuuanu, and Perry told Onuma to come back in five minutes. Van Marter said Perry shot Fuller five times, the last time in the back of the head when he was on the ground.
Bettencourt said it was Onuma who fired the shots while Perry was in the car.