Muslims decry
sailor’s sentenceThe prosecution is criticized as
being "incompetent" in
the Pearl Harbor murders
A local Muslim spokesman said there was "an obvious lack of justice" in Monday's military court sentence of 22 1/2 years for a Pearl Harbor sailor who originally faced capital punishment for killing his wife and mother-in-law.
Rashid Abdullah, communications officer for the Muslim Association of Hawaii, said yesterday that Petty Officer 2nd Class David DeArmond, 33, benefited from the "incompetence and a lack of preparation" of the "two inexperienced junior officers" who made up the Navy's prosecuting team.
"The defense team was composed of three experienced senior officers," Abdullah said, and "a lot of time was spent on character assassination" by witnesses who said DeArmond's wife, Zaleha, was dating other men. "They focused on her actions as a possible legitimate reason for her death."
"You don't go murdering people just because you are provoked," said Ahmad bin Kasti of Singapore, whose mother and sister were the victims. He and Abdullah spoke at a news conference at the Manoa mosque.
"Because of the incompetence of the prosecution, it is hard to say if bias against Muslims was present in the prosecution of this case," Abdullah said. The victims -- Zaleha DeArmond, 31, and her mother, Saniah Binte Abdul Ghani, 66, of Singapore -- were Muslims.
DeArmond pleaded guilty to murder of Abdul Ghani and manslaughter in his wife's death. He also admitted to a charge of abuse of his wife's corpse in the plea agreement that set a maximum 30-year prison term. The jury of six enlisted men and three officers imposed the lighter sentence.
Kasti said the court did not hear testimony from his sister's friends who knew of her marital problems, and of the restraining order she secured against her husband a week before her death.
"If this is protection and justice, may God have mercy on all of us," Kasti said.
A Navy spokeswoman declined to respond to the criticism. Lt. Cmdr. Jane Campbell said: "Since I wasn't present, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to comment. I fully support their right to speak."
Abdullah said there are other examples of injustice in the military court system and he urged Hawaii's congressional delegation to work to enact legislation addressing issues of domestic violence in the military.
Yesterday was the one-year anniversary of the day when the women were slain in the couple's townhouse near the Pearl Harbor Nimitz Gate.
"I am more sad today than I was a year ago," said Kasti, "because then I thought justice would be done."
Both Kasti, who is in the real estate business in Singapore, and DeArmond's twin brother, Dennis, of Atlanta, seek custody of the couple's children, ages 5, 3 and 2 at the time of their mother's death. The children are living with foster parents until the matter is decided in Family Court.