Posted on: Friday, December 7, 2001

Clues sought in teen's death

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

A former Army soldier was being held on suspicion of murder yesterday while police searched his rented Waipio Acres apartment for clues in Wednesday's fatal shooting of a 17-year-old boy.

Robert Rhoda was found shot in the chest inside a sixth-floor unit of the Waikalani Woodlands apartments Wednesday afternoon. He later died at Wahiawa General Hospital.

Three other people were inside the apartment with Rhoda, and police later arrested the renter of the apartment, a 20-year-old man, on suspicion of second-degree murder.

The renter, who police say told them he was dishonorably discharged from the U.S. Army, has not been charged, said Homicide Lt. Bill Kato. Kato said he didn't foresee police making any more arrests.

Police said the renter refused to provide a statement to investigators, while other witnesses gave conflicting statements on what led to the shooting. One witness said an argument sparked the shooting, Kato said.

"The question is if the shooting was intentional or an accident," Kato said. "We need to talk to more people."

Kato said police interviewed three witnesses and planned to interview about five more people before determining a motive in the shooting. Yesterday, police returned to the apartment to look for evidence that would collaborate witnesses' accounts.

"We're only now processing the scene," Kato said. "A lot of times the scene will tell us a lot of things."

Reach Brandon Masuoka at 525-8110 or bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com