Dispute over pot operation led to murder, witness says

In the months leading up to the disappearance and death of 24-year-old Jamil Khan on April 7 last year, Joshua Williams had gotten increasingly frustrated with Khan for selling marijuana from their indoor marijuana-growing operation but not putting any money back into the business, said Sharone Kelly Villa, friend to Khan and Williams.

All three attended Mililani High School together, where Khan and Williams were classmates.

Williams, 26, is on trial in state Circuit Court for second-degree murder in Khan’s death, accused of dismembering the body and tossing it in the trash.

Villa was the first prosecution witness to testify in the trial Tuesday.

He said Williams had to support the operation and make ends meet by taking side jobs. He said Williams’ truck was even repossessed.

Villa said Williams’ frustration with Khan grew to the point that every time Williams called him, it was to complain about Khan and to express his desire to get rid of him.

“He told me he wanted to bury (Khan), wrap him in plastic,” Villa said.

In opening statements to the jury Tuesday, prosecutor Kristine Yoo said Williams told police that he and Michael Connolly — another partner in the marijuana operation — attacked Khan with a hammer after Khan pulled a gun on them.

“Then they dragged (Khan’s) body to the tub, then they cut him up, put the pieces of body into trash bags and threw the bags into the trash can,” Yoo said.

Police have not found Khan’s body.

Yoo said the city picked up the trash on April 10 and took it to its HPOWER incinerator facility.

Six days after Khan’s death, Villa said Williams told him he “took care of the problem,” showed him Khan’s sport utility vehicle and asked him where he could get rid of the SUV and two guns — an AK-47 and an old rifle. Villa said he saw two cans of gasoline next to the SUV.

The next day, police found Khan’s burned SUV in Waipahu.

Villa also said he saw Williams using a brush, Clorox and a hose to clean out his trash bin.

Williams is expected to testify that he and Connelly killed Khan in self-defense.

John Schum, one of Williams’ defense lawyers, told the jury in his opening statement that Khan had become a Muslim terrorist sympathizer, walked around with an AK-47 assault rifle around his shoulder and threatened to kill Williams if Williams tried to kick him out of the marijuana operation.

He said on April 7, Williams grabbed Khan after he saw Khan point his AK-47 at Connolly. All three struggled over the rifle.

“They had the choice to be killed or to protect themselves, and they chose the path to preserve their own lives,” Schum said.

Connolly, 25, is scheduled to stand trial for murder in February. But he’s asking the court to dismiss the charge because he claims the only evidence the state has against him is Williams’ statement.

Connolly is free on supervised release while Williams remains in custody with no opportunity for bail.