Michiko Sakata

State Deputy Public Defender Edward Harada said Sakata, 44, was aggressive toward Iba, 35, because she was a crystal methamphetamine user and had some of the illicit drug in her system at the time.

Iba, a citizen of Japan, was charged with second-degree murder after Sakata was taken off life support and died at Straub Clinic & Hospital on April 25, 2003, three days after the scuffle with Iba at the Seawind Surf and Sea shop on Royal Hawaiian Avenue. Sakata operated the store with her husband, Bobby Sakata.

In his opening statement, city Deputy Prosecutor Franklin "Don" Pacarro Jr. said Iba first went to the Sakatas' store on April 20 under the guise of checking on the exchange rate and told Michiko Sakata he would bring 3 million yen to the store the next day to exchange for U.S. currency.

Pacarro said Iba showed up at the store at about 10:30 p.m. April 21 and told Bobby Sakata he would make the exchange the next day, when Michiko Sakata was scheduled to work.

On the day of the scheduled exchange, June Ae Park, who worked at a store next door, was returning from the bank when she noticed a commotion. She followed a police officer into the Sakatas' store and motioned to him that a struggle was taking place behind the counter, Pacarro said.

He said Park and the police officer found Michiko Sakata face -down on the floor with Iba squatting over her waist area with his hands reaching toward her head.

After he was arrested, police found $8,370 in a pocket of Iba's jeans, Pacarro said. The cash register drawer was open and the money found on Iba was from the day's proceeds, not from the intended currency exchange, Pacarro said.

He said that Iba had scratches on his head, neck and upper torso and that DNA found in the material taken from under Michiko Sakata's fingernails matched Iba's DNA. Pacarro said he will not dispute autopsy findings that Sakata had traces of methamphetamine in her system.

Harada said Iba had no prior criminal record and had come to Hawai'i to start a tour company and Japanese wedding business. Iba had made a practice of carrying a wad of fake money with him after two men stole $5,000 from him some time before the incident with Michiko Sakata.

Harada said Michiko Sakata gave Iba the $8,370 to hold so she could look at Iba's bundle of phony yen. He said that a struggle ensued when Sakata refused to return the phony yen and that Sakata was injured when she fell to the floor with Iba on top of her.

The trial, before Circuit Judge Michael Town, is expected to last two weeks. Harada said he expects Iba to take the stand in his own defense.