Posted on: Wednesday, April 10, 2002

Arrest in murder a mistake, father says

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

The 23-year-old Kailua man arrested in connection with two murders but not charged is innocent and a victim of mistaken identity, his father said yesterday.

Police say Jason K. Perry was the common factor at the Jan. 26 shooting death of 40-year-old Edward Fuller in Nu'uanu and the strangulation murder of 37-year-old Tracey Tominaga, whose body was found in a shallow grave above Makakilo on April 2.

Homicide Lt. Bill Kato said police were still conducting their investigation and needed to talk to more people and conduct tests.

Although Perry has not been charged in either murder, he was charged with weapon and drug offenses that police said were uncovered during investigation of Fuller's murder. He is being held on $1 million bail at the Oahu Community Correctional Center.

Police filed an affidavit justifying Perry's arrest that said an acquaintance saw him shoot at Fuller five times with a .38-caliber handgun on Jan. 26, firing the final shot to the back of Fuller's head as he lay on the ground.

Perry could not be reached for comment yesterday, but his father, David, said police have the wrong man.

"They have a suspect, (and) so far there's nobody else," the father said. "So I guess he's the one they're trying to use as the culprit. I know my son. I raised him with good morals. I go to church. I'm a Christian — that's how we raised him. He may do a lot of things — mischief and stuff like any other teenager — but he's not capable of what they're accusing him of."

The father said he would not be able to post the $1 million bail and did not know the six other men arrested last week in connection with Tominaga's murder. The men were released Sunday pending further investigation.

The father said his son was being represented by the public defender's office, and police did allow him to check on his son when he was at the police cellblock.

"He looked like he was tired, and I'm sure very uncomfortable," the father said. "I couldn't talk about the case or incident at all because it's under investigation."

Kato said that while the police affidavit was based on statements made by an acquaintance of Perry, police still want to verify the story.

On Jan. 26, at approximately 11 p.m., Fuller was shot dead in front of 23 Jack Lane. Police said he was found with gunshot wounds to the body and head, and four .38-caliber shell casings were found on the ground.

According to the affidavit, the acquaintance told police he and Perry were driving around and picked up Fuller in the Ke'eaumoku area early in the evening. The acquaintance dropped the two off on Jack Lane and Perry told him to drive around because he was going to shoot Fuller, the affidavit said.

When the acquaintance returned and parked, he saw Perry in the rear-view mirror take a .38-caliber handgun from his waistband and shoot Fuller in the neck, the affidavit said.

Fuller ran in the 'ewa direction on Jack Lane, away from Pali Highway, and Perry fired the gun two more times while chasing Fuller, the affidavit said.

Perry then stopped, aimed and fired a fourth shot, the affidavit said. Fuller fell face down on the ground. Perry then pulled Fuller's head up by the hair and fired a single shot to the back of his head, the affidavit said.

Perry then returned to the car and ordered him to drive off, according to the affidavit.