Court docs: Suspect in Mililani murder smelled of burned plastic, had blood on ankle

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The suspect accused of killing a woman and allegedly setting a car on fire at Mililani High School made his initial court appearance on Thursday morning.

Samuel Jones, 25, was charged with second-degree murder and first-degree arson.

The victim, 21-year-old Jordan Laulusa, was found in a burned-out car.

According to court documents, Laulusa was found in her own car with visible lacerations on her neck and multiple puncture wounds to the armpit.

Witnesses reported seeing Jones gathering items from the burning vehicle and leaving the area.

According to Honolulu police, witnesses also told arriving officers that they noticed Jones around the burning car who had been “opening and closing doors during the fire and then fled on foot.”

When the suspect was walking away from the burning vehicle, he was carrying some type of “blade” or weapon, they added.

They said he was wearing all black — including black shoes and black hat — and had visible burn marks and a strong odor of burned plastic. He was also seen with what appeared to be blood on his ankle.

Investigators say Jones also tossed a blue bag into a trash can. The blue bag was found to have clothing that appeared to have blood on it.

Jones’ bail has been set at $1 million.

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