HONOLULU (KHON2) — The man accused of murdering a woman and setting the vehicle her body was found in on fire has pled not guilty on Tuesday.
Samuel Jones, 25, was indicted and charged with murder in the second degree and arson in the first degree after Laau Jordan Laulusa’s body was found on March 13.
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According to the Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney, the incident happened at around 6:40 a.m. on that Monday. Witnesses noticed a man walking away from the burning vehicle in a parking lot at Mililani High School.
Prosecutors said the witnesses were able to capture images of the man and notified the police.
When police arrived, they found Laulusa’s body with multiple lacerations and puncture wounds.
By around 7:15 a.m., Jones was arrested by police approximately a quarter mile away from the murder scene.
“We thank the alert citizens who were near the high school and noticed something was wrong,” said Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm. “The information they provided was key to the arrest and indictment, the first steps toward holding the defendant accountable.”
According to Laulusa’s family, the victim and the suspect had been in a relationship.
Jones is being held at Oahu Community Correctional Center with bail set at $1 million.
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His trial is scheduled for May 29.
