Fate of defendant in North Shore murder trial with jury as closing arguments wrap up

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Prosecutors and defense attorneys made their closing arguments Thursday in the trial of Stephen Brown for the murder of Telma Boinville, who was found dead in a North Shore home in 2017.

Deputy Prosecutor Scott Bell outlined a list of alleged “falsehoods” Brown had stated when he took the stand on Tuesday.

In his own defense, Brown claimed his then girlfriend, Hailey Dandurand, killed Boinville while he stepped out of the home to keep a look out after they tied her up

However, in laying out their evidence, Bell said: “It was the defendant who was the only one who was physically powerful enough to subdue Telma Boinville.”

Bell added that Boinville already had significant injuries on her arm and wrist, indicating she struggled to defend herself before she was tied up by the suspects.

“She did not go peacefully into that goodnight she did not lay down and allow herself to be tied up. She fought back and the only one physically capable of these two (Brown and Dandurand) in overcoming her resistance is the defendant,” said Deputy Prosecutor Scott Bell.

“It is factually improbable — if not impossible — for Telma to have sustained defensive wounds while her hands were tied behind her back.”

Prosecutors said Brown also made a critical admission to Boinville’s then 8-year-old daughter.

“The defendant admitted to Makana that he and Hailey Dandurand killed her mother,” said Bell.

“Makana testified last week that when the boy with the green hair scooped her out of the back of the car, he told her we killed your mom.”

Brown’s defense attorney claimed that the prosecution does not know what happened in the house where the murder was committed and that the DNA evidence doesn’t tie his client to the weapons used to kill Boinville.

“There are no specific findings that the DNA belonged to Stephen Brown on at least three different items ... no blood or DNA on his knife, no DNA on the weapons,” said attorney William Bagasol.

“What happened inside that house? The prosecution really doesn’t know what happened in that house. In a sense it is lucky that we had him (Brown) testify because at least now we know what happened.”

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Prosecutors said that Boinville walked in on the Brown and Dandurand while they were burglarizing a North Shore vacation rental.

They claim the two tied Boinville up and eventually killed her with a machete and other weapons.

Prosecutors also allege the couple tied up her young daughter, Makana, who was waiting outside the home. Boinville’s daughter was bound but not harmed.

Brown is charged with second-degree murder, kidnapping and burglary, among other crimes.

Dandurand will have a separate trial later on.

This story will be updated.

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