Posted on: Sunday, December 16, 2001

Edmonds trial delayed until at least July

Advertiser Staff

The trial of a man accused of abducting two Kailua girls and murdering one of them more than 25 years ago has been put off at least until July.

Delmar J. Edmonds Jr. was scheduled to go to trial Dec. 10 on a charge of murder in the death of Dawn "Dede" Bustamante, 13, and the attempted murder of a second 13-year-old girl.

Edmonds was extradited from Indiana to O'ahu in October.

A break in the case came last year when a former Marine who had been stationed with Edmonds in Hawai'i in the 1970s contacted authorities to say Edmonds had asked him and others to lie about his whereabouts the night Bustamante was killed, according to court documents.

Bustamante and her friend were forced into a car at gunpoint and taken to an isolated area behind the Pali golf course.

Edmonds was indicted in August on a charge of murder in connection with Bustamante's death and attempted murder for allegedly shooting at Bustamante's friend, who escaped and called police.

Edmonds is confined at the O'ahu Community Correctional Center, unable to post $500,000 bail.