A Kailua-Kona man facing multiple counts of murder and attempted murder in connection with stabbings in May and June in Hilo and Kona was recently indicted in accordance with a recent Hawaii Supreme Court ruling.
Chito Asuncion, 24, was indicted Sept. 27 on charges of first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder and two counts each of second-degree murder and second-degree attempted murder in connection with the stabbing deaths of 63-year-old Brian Macaulay and 48-year-old Boyd Maygra and the nonfatal stabbings of two others.
Asuncion was charged in June via complaint, however, the case required indictment after the Hawaii Supreme Court determined in a 3-2 ruling that Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 801-1 precludes the state from initiating felony prosecutions by way of complaint and preliminary hearing before a judge. That means charges in all serious felony cases must be brought via grand jury indictment only.
Asuncion was arrested June 7 in Kailua-Kona after Hawaii Police Department investigators identified the 24-year-old as a suspect in the murder of a Maygra, whose body was found around 6 a.m. that morning at Hale Halawai Park in Kailua Village. Police said Maygra suffered multiple stab wounds.
While conducting the investigation into Maygra’s slaying, detectives linked Asuncion to three other crimes, including the alleged murder of Macaulay on May 17.
Macaulay’s body was found behind the Kailua-Kona Post Office, near the Palani Road and Queen Kaahumanu Highway intersection. Police said Macaulay was also stabbed to death.
Asuncion is also accused of two stabbings in May in Hilo.
The first Hilo incident was reported May 25 by a 59-year-old Hilo man, who reported being stabbed by an unknown male party. The victim was transported to the Hilo Medical Center where he was treated for his injuries and later released.
The second Hilo stabbing occurred May 30. That incident involved the assault of a 70-year-old Hilo woman, who also reported being stabbed by an unknown individual. She was also transported to the Hilo Medical Center for treatment.
Following the Sept. 27 indictment, Kona Circuit Court Judge Robert D.S. Kim set bail at $10 million.
Prosecutors on Thursday filed a motion to hold the defendant without bail. A hearing date for that has not yet been set.
If convicted of first-degree murder, Asuncion faces life behind bars without the possibility of parole. He also faces enhanced sentencing because two of the victims were age 60 or older.
He remains in custody at Hawaii Community Correctional Center with a trial date set for Feb. 28, 2023.