Defense calls credibility
of witness into question

Final arguments are heard in
the trial over the 2003 murder
of a 49-year-old Aiea man

Can the state's star witness, Kevin Harris, be believed?

That's the question jurors are pondering as the murder trial of Greg Morishima, a 49-year-old Aiea man who was gunned down in the carport of his friend's home on Oct. 26, 2003, draws to a close.

On trial in Circuit Court for second-degree murder, robbery and weapons offenses in Morishima's death are Micah Kanahele, 24, Rosalino Ramos, 24, and Jason Rumbawa, 25. Also on trial is their alleged getaway driver, Anthony Brown, 25, who is charged with first-degree robbery.

During lengthy closing arguments yesterday, Deputy Prosecutor Lucianne Khalaf pointed to bullet casings and a projectile recovered at the murder scene that matched the M-1 carbine found in Kanahele's possession when he was arrested.

She cited testimony from an eyewitness and neighbors who saw at least three masked men entering the carport before hearing shots fired, and results of DNA tests linking Brown to a T-shirt left at the scene to corroborate Harris' version of what happened that night.

Harris alleged that he and the other four men on trial attempted to rob two suspected drug houses in Royal Summit and Aiea, but were thwarted by barking dogs. He testified they ended up at a third home -- a Pamoho Place residence where he saw Kanahele, Ramos and Rumbawa open fire on Morishima, who had laughed after making a remark about them being early for Halloween.

Khalaf portrayed Harris as "man with a conscience and had something very serious to get off his chest,"

But defense attorneys called Harris an "admitted liar and thief" who misled police about his $50 a day "ice" habit and about getting rid of a fanny pack with one of the alleged murder weapons into Pearl Harbor. The fanny pack was never recovered.

Harris was able to provide detailed statements about the shooting because he wasn't simply watching from behind a hedge as he claimed, said Richard Hoke, attorney for Kanahele. "Kevin Harris was in a position to see the shooting because he was involved in the shooting," he said. He suggested that Harris, not Kanahele, was the one who carried the M-1 carbine that was allegedly fired at Morishima.

Deputy Public Defender Ronette Kawakami said Harris had the motive and bias to lie to police because he could have been facing a maximum 110 years before pleading guilty to reduced charges in exchange for his cooperation. He now faces only 10 years imprisonment.

She said there was no evidence -- including witness statements, DNA or fingerprints -- that link her client, Ramos or any of the defendants to the Pamoho Place shooting other than the testimony of Harris.

The only reason why Ramos and the others were charged is because Harris made up a bogus story to police, who swallowed it "hook, line and sinker" and failed to conduct a thorough investigation, she said.

Rumbawa and Brown both deny they were present at the shooting and contend they were at Brown's Salt Lake apartment that evening studying for an exam the next day. Both were attending Heald College at the time.