Murder suspect faults victim’s brother

A 27-year-old Kaneohe man on trial on a murder charge denied Monday that he fired any shots and testified he was the target of the shooting that left his former Castle High School football teammate dead.

Makuola Collins, the last witness in his murder trial, told a Circuit Court jury he did not have a weapon or any reason to be angry at Joel Botelho, who was shot Jan. 2 by a handgun in the early morning darkness outside Botelho’s family home in Kaneohe.

Collins said he was upset with Botelho’s younger brother, Leon "Bubba" Botelho, 22, who had "false-cracked" him in the face earlier that morning at the Club Komomai bar in Kaneohe.

Collins said he heard two gunshots when he and three other men were approaching the Botelho home and suggested the shooter was Leon Botelho.

He said he heard the younger brother’s voice from where the first shot was fired.

Leon Botelho testified for the prosecution earlier in the trial that he fired a warning shot from a rifle but saw Collins shoot his brother and then at him.

Collins is on trial on charges of murdering Joel Botelho, attempting to murder the younger brother, and three firearm charges.

The jury in Circuit Judge Karen Ahn’s courtroom is scheduled to hear closing arguments today before beginning deliberations.

Collins, who lives near the Botelhos’ family home on Waikalua Road, testified he was an outside linebacker when Joel Botelho was the quarterback of the Castle team.

Joel Botelho was living on Hawaii island but was in Kaneohe to celebrate his 27th birthday with his family.

Collins testified that on the morning of the shooting, he saw the Botelho brothers at Club Komomai, where the younger Botelho slugged him.

Collins said he was going to wait until later to resolve the dispute, but when he was at his home later that morning, the younger Botelho yelled slurs and swore from a passing car.

Collins said he went to the Botelhos’ home to talk to his friend Joel Botelho to get him to control his younger brother.

"That’s not his fault that his brother is kinda crazy," Collins said, explaining that he wasn’t upset with his former teammate.

Collins said as he and two relatives and a friend were walking on the lane to the Botelhos’ home, he heard a "bang" as a car drove toward them, then veered off.

He said he fell to the ground, saw someone with a gun, heard a shot and saw the gun flash. He said he heard Leon Botelho swearing from where the shot was fired.

Collins said he backpedaled and heard another shot.

"I thought Bubba was coming to shoot at me again," he said.

Collins said he and the others fled.

"Did you have anything to do with causing the death of Joel Botelho?" Collins’ lawyer, David Hayakawa, asked.

"No," Collins replied.

The handgun that shot Joel Botelho was never recovered.

If convicted of murdering Joel Botelho and trying to murder his brother, Collins would face a life term without parole, the state’s harshest penalty.