HomeMy WebLinkAboutNR052121OPADEREK S.K. KAWAKAMI, MAYOR
MICHAEL A. DAHILIG, MANAGING DIRECTOR
News Release
For Immediate Release: May 21, 2021
COUNTY OF KAUA‘I
OFFICE OF THE PROSECUTING ATTORNEY
JUSTIN F. KOLLAR, PROSECUTING ATTORNEY
(808) 241-1888
Jury finds former ‘Ōmao man guilty of Murder in the Second Degree
LĪHU‘E – Prosecuting Attorney Justin F. Kollar announced that a Fifth Circuit Court jury
today found Peter D. Grewer, 65, formerly of ‘Ōmao, guilty of Murder in the Second Degree for
killing his landlord and retired schoolteacher, Joellen Hartman.
This was the first criminal jury trial on Kaua‘i since the COVID-19 pandemic started in
February of 2020. The jury trial commenced on April 19, 2021, but was continued mid-trial for
two weeks due to a COVID-related issue. Presentation of evidence resumed on Monday, May
17, 2021. The jury deliberated for about two hours before finding Grewer guilty as charged.
Fifth Circuit Chief Judge Randal G.B. Valenciano presided over the trial. Deputy Prosecuting
Attorneys Kimberly A. Torigoe and Matthew H. Arakawa prosecuted the case. Christopher Calio
of the Kaua‘i Police Department’s Investigative Services Bureau was the lead investigator on the
case.
According to witness testimony and other evidence, shortly after Ms. Hartman evicted
Grewer from the rental he occupied on her property, Ms. Hartman was found dead from 17
stab wounds. She was discovered inside of her locked home on Pune’e Road in ‘Omao,
deceased in her wheelchair. Thereafter, police obtained a search warrant for Grewer’s rental
unit. Inside, police found shorts stained with Ms. Hartman’s blood and Ms. Hartman’s keys for
her home and vehicle. The police also observed fresh scratches on Grewer’s chest, and
Grewer’s DNA was found under Ms. Hartman’s fingernails and on her fingertips.
Kollar stated: “Nothing we do can bring Joellen Hartman back to life, but today we
achieved a measure of justice. I am grateful to each person who helped bring this case to this
verdict and I am thankful to the jurors for their service. Trying a highly complex case like this
during a pandemic was quite an undertaking and it took a first-rate team of attorneys, victim
advocates, clerks, and many others to get the job done – and they delivered in exemplary
fashion. We will continue holding Ms. Hartman’s friends and family in our thoughts.”
Grewer will be sentenced on August 12, 2021. An extended-term hearing is scheduled
for Monday, May 24, 2021, to determine whether Grewer will be eligible to be sentenced to an
extended term of life without the possibility of parole.
Peter D. Grewer, 65, formerly of ‘Ōmao.
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