Gambling debts allegedly
spurred fatal shooting

Suspect Donny Hiramoto
owed the victim about $8,000,
a friend of his claims

A Waimanalo man charged in the Dec. 22 slaying of Makiki apartment owner Robert Lee owed him about $8,000 in gambling debts, a friend of both the victim and suspect said.

CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM Donny Hiramoto appeared in District Court yesterday on charges of second-degree murder in the Dec. 22 shooting of apartment owner Robert Lee.

Donny Hiramoto, 32, was arrested last Tuesday and charged with second-degree murder after he was seen on video surveillance cameras in the carport of Lee's Pensacola Street building at about the time Lee was shot.

At a District Court hearing yesterday, James Faria, who said he was friends with Lee and Hiramoto, said Hiramoto owed the victim money in the past, most recently about $8,000.

Faria said he and Lee had met about five years ago, and both were involved in sports gambling.

Just days before his death, Lee had installed a video surveillance system outside his home, in part because he had been robbed recently, Faria said.

Lee's widow, Jane Lee, said she was aware her husband gambled, but did not know the extent of his involvement. She objected to the defense's characterization that her husband was conducting a gambling operation out of their garage.

The night her husband was shot, she said she agreed to take a ride with him to Waimanalo but did not know the purpose of their trip.

They were on Pali Highway and had not even reached the Pali Tunnels when her husband turned their car around after speaking to a "Donny" on his cell phone. They stopped by Times Super Market to pick up some groceries before heading home, she said.

While she was carrying the groceries into their apartment and her husband was parking their truck, Jane Lee said, she heard a loud thud outside followed by a "dead" silence and went to investigate. She spotted her husband on the ground near the left front wheel of their truck and called 911.

She said she did not hear a gunshot, just a loud thud.

According to police, Hiramoto was identified as the person seen on the surveillance video walking back and forth in the carport around the time Lee was shot. Hiramoto was later seen running from the direction of the carport, according to a police affidavit.

Jeffrey Hawk, attorney for Hiramoto, said the state does not have a case based on what has been presented so far.

"They don't have a gun, they don't have a bullet, they don't have eyewitnesses," Hawk said. "There's no doubt in my mind Donny's innocent."

Hiramoto spoke with police on Dec. 29 and admitted he talked to Lee on Dec. 22 before 7:30 p.m. on his cellular phone and that he had agreed to meet with him.

However, Hiramoto said he had no intention of meeting with Lee because he did not have the money to pay him and instead went Christmas shopping in Aiea.

The hearing before Honolulu District Judge Leslie Hayashi continues Friday. Hiramoto remains free on $175,000 bail.