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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted at 12:08 p.m., Wednesday, January 14, 2004

Police still searching for suspect in Pali case

By Rod Ohira and David Waite
Advertiser Staff Writers

Police were still searching today for Kevin "Pancho" Gonsalves, who was indicted yesterday on murder charges in connection with last week’s shooting at the Pali Municipal Golf Course.

Police believe Gonsalves, 33, is hiding in Wai'anae.

However, police are concerned about "street talk" that people brought into Honolulu are looking to take revenge on Gonsalves for the shooting deaths of Lepo Utu Taliese, 44, and Romilius Corpuz, 40, and the wounding of Tinoimalu Sao, 42, last Wednesday, said a source who asked not to be identified because of the ongoing investigation.

Police yesterday arrested Gonsalves’ girlfriend on outstanding warrants but they said she provided no information on his whereabouts.

Police also recovered the getaway car used by the Pali shooting suspects several days ago but declined to provide details.

In addition to Gonsalves, an O'ahu grand jury yesterday indicted Rodney Joseph Jr. of Makaha and Ethan "Motta of Hilo in connection with the shooting. All are charged with first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and 10 counts of firearm offenses.

Circuit Judge Michael Wilson set cash-only bail for all three men at $1 million. The "cash-only" condition was dropped by District Judge Bert Ayabe on Monday but prosecutors asked Wilson to make the bail cash-only because of allegations that witnesses had received threatening calls.

City Deputy Prosecutor Vickie Kapp told Wilson that the shootings involved a group of men who provided security for illegal gambling houses on O'ahu and that the Pali golf course has received telephone calls threatening that anyone who testifies in the case would be killed.

At the golf course a week ago, Taliese was shot several times in the head and stomach and later died at The Queen’s Medical Center. Corpuz was shot in the head and was pronounced dead at Castle Medical Center. Tinoimalu Sao, 42, was shot in the head and has been reported by police to be in critical condition at Queen’s since the shooting.

Sao and Taliese were able to identify Joseph and Motta as their attackers, police say.

Joseph and Motta have pleaded not guilty.

The indictment accuses Joseph, 35, Motta, 34, and Gonsalves, 33, of first-degree murder. If convicted, the three would face life in prison without parole, the harshest penalty allowed under Hawai'i law. The indictment also charges all three men with second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and firearm charges.

Only Joseph was indicted on a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He has felony convictions for first-degree burglary and five counts of first-degree terroristic threatening.

The charges resulted from a September 1989 incident in which Joseph entered a Wai'anae residence with two other men, pointed a shotgun at five men in the house and threatened to kill all of them. The confrontation was triggered by a traffic incident involving one of Joseph’s acquaintances.

Gonsalves has 14 convictions, 12 for misdemeanors such as contempt of court and two for the petty misdemeanors of shoplifting and harassment.

Police sources have said they believe the shooting last Wednesday was the result of a turf war between groups that provide protection for illegal gambling houses.