A man who told police he killed his partner in an indoor marijuana-growing operation in self-defense, then dismembered the body and threw it in the trash, is guilty of murder.
A state jury deliberated less than two days before finding Joshua Williams, 27, guilty Thursday of second-degree murder in the April 7, 2010, disappearance and death of 24-year-old Jamil Khan.
Police have not recovered Khan’s body.
"While we will continue to miss Jamil, we know he’s not coming back," said Mohammad Taiyab Khan, Jamil’s father. "At least we have some comfort that the system worked and we have some consolation."
Khan’s parents and sister attended every day of Williams’ trial, but were not allowed to listen to any testimony because they were called as defense witnesses.
The jurors also found Williams guilty of first-degree commercial promotion of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, auto theft and second-degree arson.
They are scheduled to return to court in October to determine whether Williams deserves a punishment greater than the mandatory life prison term with the opportunity for parole. The state wants Williams put away for life without the opportunity for parole because of what it claims is the especially heinous, atrocious or cruel nature of the murder.
Williams did not dispute the marijuana, auto theft and arson charges. He told police he drove Khan’s sport utility vehicle to a secluded stretch of bike path near Leeward Community College a week after killing Khan and then set the SUV on fire.
His lawyer, Myles Breiner, said Williams is disappointed with the murder verdict and will appeal it.
"He feels that he did the right thing, he confessed, he gave a statement to police about what was occurring. We believe we presented adequate evidence to the jury that Jamil Khan was a threat to the community," Breiner said.
He said the court erred when it prevented him from presenting evidence of Khan’s dangerous nature and when he said the court allowed the prosecutor to misrepresent information to the jury.
Williams told police Khan had become a sympathizer of radical Muslim terrorists who are fighting American soldiers in Afghanistan and had threatened to kill him and Michael Connolly, another partner in the marijuana operation, and their families.
On the day of Khan’s death, Williams said, Khan pointed an AK-47 assault rifle at Connolly, so he grabbed Khan while Connolly hit Khan on the head 10 times with a hammer.
A prosecution witness had testified that Williams told him he and Connolly ambushed Khan and that Williams later sliced Khan’s throat.
Connolly, 25, is scheduled to go to trial for murder in February. But his lawyer is asking the court to dismiss the charge because he claims the only evidence the state has against Connolly is Williams’ statement to police. Williams did not testify in his own trial.
Hawaii News Now video: Jury finds marijuana grower guilty
