LIHU’E — A state judge yesterday sent the murder case of Matthew David Blankswade, 21, of Wainiha to 5th Circuit Court for trial. Blankswade is charged with the shotgun death of Jeff Brisebois, 48, at the victim’s home in Wainiha
LIHU’E — A state judge yesterday sent the murder case of Matthew David
Blankswade, 21, of Wainiha to 5th Circuit Court for trial.
Blankswade is
charged with the shotgun death of Jeff Brisebois, 48, at the victim’s home in
Wainiha on June 26.
During Blankswade’s preliminary hearing yesterday,
District Court Judge Clifford Nakea ruled there is sufficient evidence to have
the case tried in the higher court beginning July 25.
Kaua’i County
prosecuting attorney Michael Song and deputy prosecutor Craig De Costa said
police evidence showed Blankswade stole weapons, including a 12-guage shotgun
that was used to kill Brisebois, and moved the victim’s body before police
arrived on the scene.
Blankswade was unable to post $20,00 bail and has
been confined at the Kaua’i Community Correctional Center.
Amber
Brisebois, 18, the daughter of the dead man, was initially arrested in
connection with the murder, but was released Tuesday because authorities said
there was not sufficient evidence to hold her.
But authorities said if new
evidence surfaces to connect her with the crime, Brisebois could be indicted by
a grand jury.
Yesterday, attorney Michael Wichman, representing Mary
Brisebois, the estranged wife of the murder victim, said the outcome of the
preliminary hearing cleared Amber Brisebois of any connection with the death of
her father.
Amber Brisebois didn’t plan the murder, nor did she serve as
Blankswade’s accomplice as he has told police, Wichman said after the
hearing.
Kaua’i police Sgt. Marvin Rivera, a key investigator in the
case, said Blankswade told him July 8 it was Amber Brisebois, not he, who shot
the victim. But during a second interview the same day, Rivera said, Blankswade
admitted to the killing.
The motive for the murder remains unclear. Police
have alleged a possible motive for the murder: That Amber Brisebois hated her
father, wanted his property and conspired with Blankswade to have Jeff
Brisebois removed from the property, or at least moved to another home on the
property.
Yesterday, Wichman said the property, believed to be owned by
Jeff Brisebois, is actually owned by Mary Brisebois, Amber Brisebois and the
girl’s brother.
Because the family owns the property, the theory by police
that Amber Brisebois plotted her father’s death to gain possession of his
property is flawed, Wichman said.
Rivera said he couldn’t verify Wichman’s
assertions.
Wichman said a more likely motive was that Blankswade wanted to
kill Jeff Brisebois because there was deep animosity between the two men. They
had fought, and prior to the murder Blankswade had the impression that he
would be evicted from the property, Wichman said.
The 12-gauge shotgun used
to kill Brisebois and other weapons were stolen by Blankswade from a container
located on a lot in Kilauea, authorities said.
Kaua’i police Sgt. Alejandre
Quibilan said he recovered the stolen weapons with the help of the suspect’s
brother. They included a 20-guage shotgun, a 12-guage shotgun, a 357-Magnum
revolver, a 9 mm-semiautomatic weapon, a 22-caliber revolver, a 22-caliber
lever rifle and a double barrel-shotgun and ammunition. The murder weapon was
found July 8—the day Amber Brisebois and Blankswade were arrested by
police—on a lot next to the Brisebois property. The other weapons were found
before July 8 on an adjacent lot and in a nearby stream. Blankswade was
represented by deputy public defender Ed Acoba at Thursday’s
hearing.
Staff writer Lester Chang can be reached at 245-3681 (ext.
224) or lchang@pulitzer.net
