Stiff punishment sought in Kahealani's death

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By Mike Gordon and Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writers

City prosecutors will seek the state's harshest sentence of a life prison term without parole for Christopher Clayburn Aki, the man accused of murdering Kahealani Indreginal.

Christopher Clayborn Aki was arraigned in district court yesterday on the charge of murdering 11-year-old Kahealani Indreginal, the half sister of his longtime girlfriend, Tanya Mamala-Tumbaga. Aki confessed Sunday to killing the girl. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

But he said a judge could impose the life term without parole if the murder was "especially atrocious or cruel, manifesting exceptional depravity."

Aki, the boyfriend of Kahealani's half sister, showed no emotion when he was arraigned on the murder charge yesterday in District Court. His preliminary hearing to determine whether he should stand trial on the charge was set for 1:30 p.m. tomorrow in Honolulu District Court. He is being held in lieu of $5 million bail.

Aki is charged with the death of Kahealani, 11, whose body was found Friday afternoon by a hiker on the 'Aiea Loop Trail. She had been missing for nearly 72 hours after coming home from 'Aiea Elementary School Dec. 10 to her home in the Pu'uwai Momi housing complex.

An autopsy yesterday concluded that she died from head and neck injuries, according to the city's medical examiner's office. Family members yesterday said they were told by police that the girl had been choked and stabbed.

Aki, who was arrested Friday, told detectives Sunday that he killed Kahealani, police said. Police also said Aki acted alone. They had arrested two other men but both were released Sunday.

City prosecutors and police declined to talk about details of the case against Aki, but in a police affidavit dated Saturday filed in Honolulu District Court, at least two people said they saw Kahealani sitting in Aki's blue Dodge Neon on the afternoon that she disappeared.

A man said he saw the car near a park fence within the housing complex and he recognized the driver as the boyfriend of Tanya Mamala-Tumbaga, Kahealani's half sister. The witness said he saw Kahealani get into the car at about 3 p.m. and the vehicle drove off, the affidavit said.

Tanya Mamala-Tumbaga yesterday could not hold back tears as she talked about Christopher Clayborn Aki, who has confessed to murdering Kahealani Indreginal. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

Aki was arrested Friday night, but he initially told police that two other men were involved in Kahealani's death. Based on that information, police arrested the two, but later released them when Aki recanted his statements and admitted he acted alone in the girl's death, police said.

Maj. Darryl Perry, head of HPD's Criminal Investigation Division, said yesterday that police "feel that (the two) are no longer viable suspects in this case."

"His initial statements implicating these individuals did not add up after we went back and checked everything out," Perry said. "He was confronted with our findings and he made statements to indicate they were not involved."

Aki has two prior felony arrests from August 2001, but there are no records of any convictions.

The state public defender's office will represent Aki. Chief Deputy Dean Yamashiro yesterday said his office had not yet met with Aki and could not say what the defense strategy will be.

"A defense doesn't necessarily mean we're trying to get the guy off, but maybe trying to get the guy the best possible alternative that we can," Yamashiro said. "Sometimes clients actually feel bad for what they did, and they want to throw themselves at the mercy of the court. But it's hard to tell at this time because I don't know what evidence that they have against him."

At yesterday's arraignment, one of Kahealani's cousins, Cheyenne Letisi, said she was angry that Aki did not even make eye contact with her. "He had no feelings," she said. "He didn't even look around the courtroom to face the family. He showed no remorse."

Mamala-Tumbaga has been Aki's girlfriend for several years and the couple, who had planned to marry, have an 11-month-old son. "I don't think he acted alone," Mamala-Tumbaga said outside the courthouse as she tried unsuccessfully to hold back tears.

"I just feel so hurt that he did this to me," she said. "It is not like him. He goes to church. He is nice."

Mamala-Tumbaga said she and other members of her family repeatedly confronted Aki several times last week before his arrest Friday and on each occasion, he denied being involved.

"I asked him, 'You better not lie to me if you know where she is,' " Mamala-Tumbaga recalled.

"I don't know how he did this," she said. "I have questions I want to ask him to his face."

She has not spoken to Aki since his arrest but planned to as soon as police allowed.

Letisi said it made her sick to think of how he consoled the family last week and how they hugged him during their frantic search for the girl.

He made them "feel like fools," she said yesterday.

Both Letisi and Mamala-Tumbaga said Kahealani trusted Aki and said the girl would never have willingly left with anyone if he was not there.

"She trusted Chris," Letisi said. "We blame him."