A 48-year-old Mountain View man accused of a January killing in Eden Roc subdivision had obtained a temporary restraining order against the victim five days before the body was found and three days before police believe the slaying occurred.
Walter Boyd Bremmer and Cynthia Villella were granted a temporary restraining order against 52-year-old Robert John “Johnny” Leong on Jan. 23.
According to court documents, Villella told police Bremmer had informed her he entered Leong’s home at 11-3410 Palainui Ave. without permission and shot and strangled Leong. His body was found by the property owner on Jan. 28, and a court document indicates police believe he’d been dead for two days.
Bremmer, who was arrested last Wednesday, made his initial appearance on Monday in Hilo District Court. Judge Barbara Takase set a preliminary hearing for 2 p.m. today and denied a request by Stanton Oshiro, Bremmer’s court-appointed attorney, to set bail for his client.
Bremmer, who is in custody at Hawaii Community Correctional Center, is charged with second-degree murder, first-degree burglary and use of a firearm in a felony.
A court document filed by police states that a pocket knife believed to belong to Bremmer and containing his DNA was found next to Leong’s body, “and evidence believed to be used during the murder was recovered” from Bremmer’s residence. According to the document, forensic testing “also corroborated the information” Villella gave to police.
The document states that Leong died of “multiple gunshot wounds to the head and ligature strangulation,” which means strangulation with a cord-like object.
Bremmer was charged in July with domestic abuse; the alleged victim in the case was Villella, according to court documents. Prosecutors dismissed that case in August without prejudice — meaning the charges can be refiled — pending further investigation. Villella was also granted a TRO against Bremmer in July, effective through Jan. 13, 2013.