Hawaii acupuncturist killed in love triangle cheated with multiple women, defense attorney says
A Hawaii man charged with murder in the shooting death of the acupuncturist who was having an affair with his wife wasn't the only person with a motive to kill him, a defense attorney told jurors at the start of the trial.
Eric Thompson was arrested on Valentine's Day last year and has been under house arrest in an upscale Honolulu neighborhood. Police said he shot Jon Tokuhara, an acupuncturist treating Thompson's wife, after discovering the affair through Instagram messages and videos.
Tokuhara "had a track record of cheating," including with women who had families, Thompson's defense attorney said. Jilted women ghosted by Tokuhara would have had the same motive, attorney David Hayakawa said, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported.
Hayakawa said police ignored other leads for possible suspects, noting that Tokuhara was a gambler and nearly $4,000 in cash was found next to his body in his office.
Thompson and his wife were high school sweethearts.
Tokuhara ruined the couple's image of a perfect life and that's why Thompson killed him, KHON-TV reported a prosecutor saying.
"He shot him not once, not twice, not three times, but four times to the face," said Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Benjamin Rose.
Surveillance footage shows Thompson parked near Tokuhara's office and walking in wearing a hat and sunglasses, police said. The hat fell on the street as Thompson was leaving, police said, and DNA testing showed it was likely worn by Thompson.
"Eric Thompson killed the man who slept with his wife," Hawaii News Now reported Rose saying. "This is a story as old as time."
The trial continued Thursday and the judge expects it to wrap up by the end of the month, KITV reported.
On Wednesday, Tokuhara's 81-year-old mother cried on the witness stand as she talked about the day she discovered her son's body in his office last year, Hawaii News Now reported.
"I went to the office and I saw him on the floor and I saw paperwork all over the room," said Lilly Tokuhara.
Those who knew Tokuhara said he loved fishing, surfing, coaching and helping veterans, Hawaii News Now reported.
"You know, he's an acupuncturist. He was a healer, you know, and he's helped so many people," said a loved one who attended a vigil for Tokuhara.
"He had friends in so many different circles and he was just someone that was just loved," another friend said. "He gave back to his community and gave scholarships."