Attorney expects plea of 'not guilty' in girl's death

•	Funeral services set for Sunday
	To express your sympathy to the family of Kahealani Indreginal, e-mail us at online@honoluluadvertiser.com. We will post submissions and forward the messages on to the family.

By Curtis Lum, Walter Wright and Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writers

Christopher Clayburn Aki told police that he used crystal methamphetamine the day before he allegedly killed 11-year-old Kahealani Indreginal, a police source said yesterday.

Indreginal relative Debra Mercado, left, comforts Natasha Durden, who dropped off a condolence card at a shrine for Kahealani. Mercado was tending to the shrine featuring a Christmas tree with ornaments, such as the one below. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

Aki, who is being held on $5 million bail, is scheduled to be arraigned on the charge Monday in Circuit Court.

Deputy Public Defender Todd Eddins, who represents Aki, said his client will plead not guilty. Eddins met with Aki yesterday and described his client as "stable."

Eddins would not comment on the case, particularly allegations that Aki was a drug user. But the police source said while being questioned by police, Aki admitted using crystal meth, also known as "ice," and may have been under the influence when he allegedly killed Kahealani.

If Aki was under the influence of drugs it came as no surprise to Leiawapuhi Hunter, who grew up near Kahealani and her accused killer.

Hunter, 18, said she lived in the Pu'uwai Momi public housing apartment building next to the one where Aki and his mother had lived for several years, and upstairs from the apartment where Kahealani and her half sister Tanya Mamala-Tumbaga lived.

Aki had moved in with Mamala-Tumbaga, his girlfriend, and the couple later moved away from the project, Hunter said.

About three months ago, Hunter said, Aki had shown up one day so gaunt and emaciated that Hunter was convinced he was on crystal methamphetamine.

"His weight loss caught my eye, and he looked like he hadn't slept in weeks," she said. "I said, 'That's not Chris.' "

When a continuing stream of people came around asking for Aki, Hunter also became convinced that he was dealing as well as using drugs, although she never actually saw him use or deal "ice."

Hunter also said yesterday she believes that Aki, even under the influence of drugs, would have been physically and psychologically incapable of killing Kahealani by himself. "Chris would not have had enough guts, not him alone," she said. "He couldn't have done this on his own."

Honolulu police yesterday examine Halawa Stream near the Navy's Halawa Gate on Nimitz Highway where they planned to dive for what may be the murder weapon used to kill Kahealani Indreginal. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

Maj. Darryl Perry, head of HPD's Criminal Investigation Division, yesterday repeated earlier statements that there is no evidence to indicate that another person was involved in the girl's death.

"We're basing our investigation on the physical evidence and also on the statements of Mr. Aki, which corroborates the physical evidence. So right now we're not looking at any other viable suspects," Perry said.

Two men were arrested in connection with the case, but they were released without charges. Perry said rumors that the two played a role in the girl's death concern him.

"When statements of this nature are made it places the individuals that were arrested in jeopardy because people might get the wrong idea that they may have been involved after all," he said.

Police divers are expected to search the mouth of Halawa Stream this morning for a metal pipe, the possible murder weapon.

"We're looking for evidence involved in this case, whether it be the bracelets or the murder weapon or any other thing that may have been discarded or thrown away," Perry said.

Kahealani wore gold Hawaiian bracelets, but they weren't recovered from her body, police said.

Hunter may have been one of the last people to see Kahealani alive. She said when she saw them together in Aki's car on the day the 11-year-old girl disappeared, Hunter felt something was wrong.

Hunter said she recalled suppressing a strong impulse to go to Aki's car and get Kahealani away from Aki.

Instead, she and her uncle Lui Tu'ua and an aunt drove on to Pearl City to help another relative pack to move house. Aki allegedly drove on as well and later bludgeoned her with a metal pipe, police said.

Something was wrong that day, Hunter said yesterday, because Aki and Kahealani were never alone together. "It didn't look right, it was very unusual," she said.

Aki would not have been with Kahealani unless Mamala-Tumbaga was there, too, Hunter said. "Tanya was always there."

Hunter said she had seen a girl walking toward Aki's car earlier that day, and when her car came up toward Aki's car on the road, she had her aunt speed up so she could get a closer look.

"We overtook them, and I looked over and said, 'My God, that is Chris, that is Kahealani.'

"Sitting at a stop light, I wanted to just get out of the van and go over and get her out. It was one of my inner feelings, and I wanted to follow it so bad, but I didn't do anything about it.

"It hurts me to know that I didn't do anything," said Hunter, a Pearl City High School graduate who has lived at Pu'uwai Momi since she was born.

She said she was also concerned that day because she believed that Aki was a drug user. Previously, Aki had always been a "happy-go-lucky" boy next door, "always helping his mom with the yard or the house," she said.

"He had his head on his shoulders, he knew what he wanted to do. I knew he had ambition. Chris was one to strive for his goals," Hunter said.

"We would stop and talk story, and he watched that little girl grow up."

Kahealani's body was positively identified Tuesday by the Army's Central Identification Laboratory Hawai'i, according to the Office of the Honolulu Medical Examiner. The medical examiner said the girl died of head and neck injuries.

Staff writer Mike Gordon contributed to this report.