A 48-year-old man convicted of murdering a woman nearly 27 years ago now faces a charge of murdering a second woman eight years ago that carries a sentence of life without parole, Hawai'i's harshest sentence.

Darnell Griffin is believed to be the first person charged under a 1996 state law that permits the life-without-parole prison term for a person convicted of murder who has a prior murder conviction.

Griffin, an 'Ewa resident, was indicted by the O'ahu grand jury yesterday on charges of raping and murdering a 20-year-old woman who was found in a grassy area at the H-2 Freeway's Ka Uka Boulevard off-ramp near Waipi'o Gentry Sept. 6, 1999. Evelyn Luka was in a coma and died the following month from brain damage caused by suffocation and strangulation.

Although Griffin is being held on $5 million bail, city Deputy Prosecutor Kevin Takata asked Circuit Judge Derrick Chan to order that the defendant be held without bail "to shield the women of our community from a man who has killed twice."

Chan granted the request pending a hearing on a written no-bail request by prosecutors.

Griffin was arrested last week after police said DNA from a blood sample from Griffin matched DNA evidence recovered in a sexual assault examination of Luka.

Luka was last seen leaving the Venus Nightclub at Kapi'olani Boulevard with a man she said lived in Salt Lake, according to a police affidavit. At the time, Griffin was living in a Salt Lake apartment, the document said.

State Public Defender Jack Tonaki, whose office represents Griffin, said he cannot comment on the accusations because he has not yet received information or reports from prosecutors.

Takata and Tonaki said they don't recall any similar murder charge carrying a life term without parole because the defendant has a prior murder conviction.

Tonaki also indicated Griffin won't be released even if the bail is $5 million because it's essentially the same as holding him without bail.

Griffin was an Army specialist at Schofield Barracks when he was charged with the murder of Lynn Gheradi, a 24-year-old X-ray technician whose nude body was found on her bed at her Makiki apartment in October 1980. During the trial, Griffin said he knew Gheradi, but denied strangling or suffocating her. The prosecution maintained Griffin killed her after she refused to go out with him.

The jury convicted him of murder and he was sentenced to a life term with parole. He was released on parole in 1996, three years before Luka's death.

Takata yesterday told Chan that Griffin killed Gheradi because she resisted his advances, then killed another woman within several years of his release on parole.

Griffin will be arraigned this month, at which time he is expected to plead not guilty.

Reach Ken Kobayashi at kkobayashi@honoluluadvertiser.com.