Detective describes fatal Palolo beating

By Yasmin Anwar
Advertiser Staff Writer

The day after allegedly beating his landlord to death for evicting him, handyman Wesley Chong returned to his victim's Palolo Valley home and stole his car, television, computer and credit cards. He later set fire to the car to "destroy the evidence," according to a police account of a confession by Chong.

Probable cause was found for Wesley Chong to stand trial. Kyle Sackowski • The Honolulu Advertiser

After Honolulu police and Dr. Kanthi von Guenthner, the city medical examiner, provided an hour of graphic testimony, District Judge Russell Blair found probable cause for Chong, 47, to stand trial on charges of second-degree murder, auto theft and two counts of burglary.

Blair set an arraignment date of July 23 in Circuit Court.

If convicted, Chong faces life in prison on the murder count, said Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Vince Kanemoto. If a jury determines Chong was aware that Lum was over 60, he faces life in prison without parole.

In court yesterday, a grim-faced Chong slumped next to his attorney Todd Eddins.

Chong has had 13 nonfelony convictions dating back to 1972 for such offenses as driving under the influence of alcohol, domestic abuse and harassment.

He was Lum's tenant at 2457 Lamaku Place for about three months. The two had agreed that Chong could live rent-free in exchange for doing repairs on Lum's properties, homicide detective Fitchett testified.

However, early on June 25, Chong was served with eviction papers and became enraged. Less than an hour later, he drove to Lum's home at 3404 Kupa'a Drive and demanded to talk to Lum. It wasn't until Chong pried open the garage door with a knife that Lum finally came to the door, Fitchett said.

According to Fitchett, Chong told police he punched Lum, who fell to the ground. Fitchett said Chong then grabbed a can of food and bashed Lum's head with it four to six times. Chong also kicked Lum in the back, according to Fitchett, then grabbed Lum's keys and wallet and fled in his own blue Chevrolet.

The next day, Fitchett said, Chong returned and stole Lum's Ford Tempo, a computer, a television, a computer, checkbooks and credit cards, which he used to get money from an ATM machine and purchase gasoline.

Then on June 28, Chong set fire to Lum's car on Kauhana Street in Palolo Valley to "destroy the evidence," Fitchett said.

Police found Lum's decomposing body June 30.

Fitchett suggested on the witness stand that Lum had so many complaints against tenants that police initially had trouble deciding which potential suspects to question. However, a friend of Chong tipped police off and persuaded Chong to turn himself in.