Ka'u murder charge affirmed by judge
Advertiser Staff
HILO, Hawai'i — A Big Island judge said yesterday there was probable justification for a second-degree murder charge against Douglas John Fathke, who is accused of fatally shooting his 8-year-old daughter in Ka'u last Easter Sunday.
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Fathke also is charged with terroristic threatening, attempted murder and a firearms violation.
Douglas John Fathke's ex-wife has said he has a history of mental illness.
Hilo District Judge John P. Moran set Fathke's arraignment for Dec. 16 in Circuit Court.
Fathke, 45, allegedly shot his daughter, Kelsie, on April 20 with a .30-caliber rifle at his home in Na'alehu.
He also is accused of attacking a 16-year-old boy who was staying at Becky's Bed & Breakfast at the time of the shooting. Fathke ran the bed-and-breakfast from his home.
No motive has been made public, but Fathke's ex-wife, Memarie Dhillon, has said Fathke has a history of mental illness.
Police testified earlier in the preliminary hearing that after the shooting, Fathke alternately told officers he was Jesus Christ, God and Satan.
