Hawaii Man Arrested In Arizona Murder
Suspect Accused Mother Of Being Pedophile
POSTED: 5:06 pm HST April 18, 2005
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HONOLULU -- Arizona authorities arrested a Hawaii man after they said he killed his mother in a premeditated attack, telling a witness later he had just killed a pedophile.
John Fitzgerald, 39, lived alone in a Waikiki studio. The resident manager of the building describes him as a loner, but said he was friendly and helpful.
VIDEO: Waikiki Man Held In Arizona Murder Authorities in Arizona said after the murder, he was still carrying the gun, but gave up without a fight.Arizona sheriff's said Fitzgerald confessed to the murder of his mother at her home in Sun City, Ariz."We were contacted by the fiance, who had ran next door to call 911 and he had explained that the female's son had come to visit her, had shot her, had caused the trauma to her head with a large sword," said Sgt. Kip Rustenburg, of the Maricopa County Sheriff's office.Fitzgerald started planning the murder in November of last year, bought a gun and sword, according to court documents. Then last week, he took a flight to Arizona to carry out his plan, the documents said.Sun City is a quiet retirement community. Sheriff's said the crime rate there is low. Neighbors are shocked."(She was) a friendly, upbeat, wonderful person," the victim's neighbor, Les Brattain, said. "Myself and several of my neighbors have said never in my life had anyone I know been murdered."In Waikiki, the resident manager of Fitzgerald's Kaiulani apartment said Fitzgerald paid rent on time, worked out every day, but didn't seem to have any friends or a girlfriend.Waikiki neighbors said the area used to attract the criminal element, but has been cleaned up."There's a lot of people on the edge. I don't know the exact remedy, but I just pray for all of us," Fitzgerald's neighbor Tim Smith said.The resident manager of Fitzgerald's apartment believes Fitzgerald is retired from the Navy. A Navy spokeswoman in Hawaii could not confirm that.Records show Fitzgerald lived in Hawaii since at least 1989.
John Fitzgerald, 39, lived alone in a Waikiki studio. The resident manager of the building describes him as a loner, but said he was friendly and helpful.VIDEO: Waikiki Man Held In Arizona Murder Authorities in Arizona said after the murder, he was still carrying the gun, but gave up without a fight.Arizona sheriff's said Fitzgerald confessed to the murder of his mother at her home in Sun City, Ariz."We were contacted by the fiance, who had ran next door to call 911 and he had explained that the female's son had come to visit her, had shot her, had caused the trauma to her head with a large sword," said Sgt. Kip Rustenburg, of the Maricopa County Sheriff's office.Fitzgerald started planning the murder in November of last year, bought a gun and sword, according to court documents. Then last week, he took a flight to Arizona to carry out his plan, the documents said.Sun City is a quiet retirement community. Sheriff's said the crime rate there is low. Neighbors are shocked."(She was) a friendly, upbeat, wonderful person," the victim's neighbor, Les Brattain, said. "Myself and several of my neighbors have said never in my life had anyone I know been murdered."In Waikiki, the resident manager of Fitzgerald's Kaiulani apartment said Fitzgerald paid rent on time, worked out every day, but didn't seem to have any friends or a girlfriend.Waikiki neighbors said the area used to attract the criminal element, but has been cleaned up."There's a lot of people on the edge. I don't know the exact remedy, but I just pray for all of us," Fitzgerald's neighbor Tim Smith said.The resident manager of Fitzgerald's apartment believes Fitzgerald is retired from the Navy. A Navy spokeswoman in Hawaii could not confirm that.Records show Fitzgerald lived in Hawaii since at least 1989.Copyright 2006 by TheHawaiiChannel.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
