Man held in killing of Kaua'i woman
By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Kaua'i Bureau
LIHU'E, Kaua'i — Police have arrested a 36-year-old Kalaheo man in the killing of 18-year-old Weslyn Jerves of Hanama'ulu.
The suspect, whose name was not released, knew the victim, police said. He was arrested Sunday night.
Jerves, a young mother, was found dead Thursday morning in a remote coastal area near Port Allen. Her body was near several abandoned cars at the end of a dirt road near Glass Beach, between an old cemetery and coastal cliffs.
Investigators have refused to release significant details, including how the body was found and the cause of death, citing the integrity of the investigation.
The suspect will be charged with second-degree murder this morning, shortly before arraignment, said public information officer Cyndi Ozaki. He was being held at the police cellblock.
Police Investigative Services Bureau spokesman Lt. Roy Asher said police interviewed friends and associates of Jerves and called for public assistance as they tried to reconstruct her movements during the final hours of her life. Asher said the department received several calls that provided help.
Investigators said they believe the time of death was between 10 p.m. and midnight Wednesday. Police received an anonymous call at 7 a.m. Thursday leading them to the scene.
The case heightened concerns in the community about attacks on women on the island's west side. However, police said they do not believe there is a link between the unsolved killings of two Kaua'i women and the Jerves case.
Jerves' body was found five miles east of where the last attacks on women took place in early 2000. In those cases, two women were killed, and a third was seriously injured.
There were some superficial similarities, but also significant differences between Jerves' death last week and those of Lisa Bissell and Daren Singer and the attack on the third woman, police said.
Each of the older cases involved an attack on a woman who had apparently been alone for an extended time in a somewhat isolated area near the beach. Jerves had been seen in Hanama'ulu just hours before police believe she was killed.
The three 2000 cases involved Caucasian, middle-aged victims. Jerves was part-Hawaiian with black hair.
Reach Jan TenBruggencate at jant@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 245-3074.
