3 indicted in fatal golf-course shootings
By David Waite
Advertiser Courts Reporter
An O'ahu grand jury yesterday indicted three men in connection with the shootings at the Pali Municipal Golf Course last Wednesday that left two men dead and a third critically injured.
Circuit Judge Michael Wilson set bail of $1million in cash each for Rodney Joseph Jr. and Ethan Motta, who were being held at O'ahu Community Correctional Center, and the same amount for Kevin Gonsalves, who has eluded police since the shooting.
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, Lepo Utu Taliese, 44, was shot several times in the head and stomach and later died at The Queen's Medical Center. Romilius Corpuz, 40, 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. His 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.
In April 1993, Gonsalves' wife at the time, Ernesta Gonsalves, was granted a temporary restraining order after saying Gonsalves beat her and threatened to kill her. Motta has only one misdemeanor conviction for reckless driving.
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.
The two dead men, Taliese and Corpuz, had 21 convictions between them. Taliese, who had 12 convictions, was sentenced to life in prison without parole for murder in 1980, but had his sentence commuted by former Gov. John Waihee in 1994.
Corpuz has nine convictions, including two for robbery and two for car theft.
Sao has no criminal record.
Reach David Waite at 525-8030 or dwaite@honoluluadvertiser.com.
