Drifter accused in death of convict

Charges planned in Yokohama Bay killing

Police have charged a 30-year-old drifter in the execution-style shooting death of a man whose body was found last month at Yokohama Bay.

Patrick W. Deguair Jr., 30, who has no known address, was being held in the police cellblock last night in lieu of $1 million bail.

He was charged Saturday in the death of Jermaine Duckworth, a 24-year-old former convict who was shot in the back of the head March 27 and pushed off the cliffs near Yokohama Bay in Waianae.

Duckworth was arrested on suspicion of first-degree robbery for a Maili home invasion in November, when he and three other armed men wore ski masks and identified themselves as agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration.

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By Laurie Au
lau@starbulletin.com

A 30-year-old drifter will appear in District Court this morning to face charges in the execution-style death of a suspect in a home-invasion robbery.

With help from at least one witness, police arrested Patrick W. Deguair Jr., 30, at the Pagoda Hotel last week and charged him Saturday with second-degree murder, kidnapping, possession of a silencer and firearm and drug violations.

Deguair, 30, who gave no local address, is accused in the death of Jermaine Duckworth, a 24-year-old former convict, who was shot in the back of the head March 27 and pushed off the cliffs near Yokohama Bay in Waianae.

His body was found hours later on the rocks below.

The relationship between Deguair and Duckworth remains unclear. Homicide Lt. Bill Kato declined to comment on the case yesterday, saying there will be a news conference later.

Most recently, Duckworth was arrested on suspicion of first-degree robbery for a Maili home invasion in November, when he and three other armed men wore ski masks and identified themselves as agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Police did not catch the three other men, who fled.

During the early morning hours of March 27, at least one witness told police, Deguair restrained Duckworth at a home and then drove him in a car to an area near Yokohama Bay, according to a police affidavit.

Using a silencer, Deguair shot Duckworth in the back of the head and pushed him off the cliff several hundreds yards away from Yokohama Bay beach, the affidavit said.

At 11:30 a.m. a tourist told lifeguards he had spotted a body. An autopsy report by the Honolulu Medical Examiner's Office said Duckworth's body sustained other injuries besides the single gunshot.

Thursday, police executed a search warrant for a room in the Pagoda Hotel, 1525 Rycroft St., where they arrested Deguair and 22-year-old Aryss Kamai of Waipahu for alleged drug violations. Kamai was released on $50,000 bail.

Deguair is now being held in lieu of $1 million bail.

A 1996 Pearl City High School graduate, Deguair has been arrested 38 times and has four misdemeanor convictions: reckless driving, driving without a license and resisting an order to stop, all in May 2002. Two years earlier, Deguair pleaded guilty to first-degree criminal trespassing.

Deguair's father, Patrick Deguair, said yesterday his son was a good person, joined the National Guard out of high school and has moved on to finding a good job.

"He was a good worker and did everything right," his father said.

His father declined to give any details about his son or the arrest, saying he intends to hire a lawyer today.

Duckworth also had several misdemeanor convictions, including harassment, violating parole, third-degree assault and violating a temporary restraining order.