Posted on: Saturday, November 23, 2002

Puna farmer suspected of shooting neighbor

Associated Press

HILO, Hawaii — A Big Island papaya grower arrested on suspicion of fatally shooting a neighbor on his property was released from custody yesterday.

Delan Armstrong Perry, 55, was not charged. Detectives from the Hilo Criminal Investigation Section are investigating the case, which will be referred to the County Prosecutor's Office, Hawai'i County police said.

Perry is suspected of shooting Samuel Soo Kim, 61, who lived about a half-mile from Perry's home. An autopsy found Kim died of shotgun pellets to the chest and head, police said.

Perry's friends say he must have acted in self-defense because the neighbor allegedly had repeatedly vandalized the papaya grower's property in Kapoho. Kim allegedly shot at Perry's truck and cut down 1,000 of his papaya trees, said Emerson Llantero, former executive of the Papaya Administrative Committee.

Police say the shooting took place early Thursday at Perry's home. Detectives found Kim's body in Perry's driveway. He was dressed in dark clothing and was wearing a cap pulled over his face with cutout eyeholes, police said. A .22-caliber pistol was found next to Kim's right hand and a hatchet was found near the body, they said. The pistol was registered to Kim.

At about 3:30 a.m. Thursday, Perry said he and his wife were awakened by the sound of dogs barking and breaking glass. Perry took his 12-gauge shotgun and walked outside, where he heard more breaking glass, police said.

After shouting in the direction of the sound and hearing a gunshot, Perry fired a blast in the air to scare the intruder away, police said.

Perry told police the intruder then began running toward him, firing his weapon.

After Perry and the intruder exchanged gunfire, the intruder fell to the ground, Perry told police.

One of Perry's guard dogs died of a .22-caliber gunshot wound, detectives found.