POLITICS: Son charged with killing his mother tells court it was self-defense in outburst – USSA News

Police say the 29-year-old was inside the home when officers found his mother dead.

HONOLULU, HI — A 29-year-old man charged with killing his mother in the Hawaii Kai neighborhood spoke out in court this week, telling a judge he acted in self-defense as he was escorted away, according to court and police accounts of the case.

The man, Micah Auna, is accused in the death of 60-year-old Michele Hanapi-Auna, who was found dead inside her home on Upolo Place during a welfare check on Dec. 20. Prosecutors have filed a second-degree murder charge, and a judge set bail at $500,000 while investigators wait on autopsy results and continue interviewing family and other potential witnesses.

Officers went to the residence just before noon on Saturday, Dec. 20, after the woman did not show up for work and concerns were reported to police. Detectives later said the woman appeared to have suffered blunt force injuries, but officials have not released a final cause of death. By Sunday, police remained at the scene behind yellow tape as neighbors and shoppers nearby tried to make sense of what had happened. A small bouquet of flowers appeared outside the home, placed beneath the crime tape as investigators came and went from the property.

Auna was arrested after officers arrived and found his mother’s body inside the house, police said. In an update released two days later, the Honolulu Police Department said Auna was charged with second-degree murder just after 10 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 22. The department said a 27-year-old woman who was also at the home had been arrested earlier in the investigation but was released pending further review. Police did not identify that woman in their public update, and officials have not described what, if any, role she may have played in the woman’s death.

Auna’s first court appearance drew attention after he tried to speak directly to the judge. During a hearing Tuesday, he asked for permission to address the court and was told no. As attorneys and the judge discussed the case, Auna leaned into a microphone and said, “Your Honor, it was self defense.” His lawyer immediately intervened, warning him that everything he said was being recorded. Auna continued to complain aloud as a deputy began escorting him out of the courtroom, saying he had asked for a phone call and had wanted a lawyer, and repeating his claim that he acted in self-defense.

Court documents described a grim scene when officers arrived at the Upolo Place home. A responding officer reported that Auna came to the door with his hands up and was brought outside. The officer wrote that Auna made an accusation about his mother, saying she had molested him and a cousin, and that he pushed her. When the officer entered the home, the report described towels piled at the base of stairs. The woman’s body was beneath the towels, with a foot visible. The officer wrote that she appeared to have bled from her head, her body was cold to the touch, and her face looked bruised and swollen. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Second-degree murder charges in Hawaii generally allege an intentional or knowing killing without premeditation, and the charge often becomes a focus of early court hearings about bail and the strength of the evidence. Police have not publicly described a weapon in the case, and they have not released a timeline for when they believe the woman was killed. Investigators said they were waiting for an autopsy to determine the exact cause and time of death, a step that can shape what prosecutors allege and what defense attorneys challenge as the case moves through court.

The neighborhood response has mixed shock and grief, especially because the killing happened days before Christmas. Residents who learned of the death described Hawaii Kai as a close-knit area, and some said they felt unsettled seeing homicide investigators working in a place better known for quiet streets and shopping centers. On Sunday, with police activity continuing, shoppers moved through nearby stores while news of the killing spread through the community. A therapist who lives in the area said people were likely to talk about the case at holiday gatherings and work, and that the event could leave some residents uneasy.

Friends of the victim have described Hanapi-Auna as a steady presence in her circle. Malia Marquez, who said she had been friends with the victim for more than 30 years, remembered her as calm and loving and said she always tried to see the positive in a situation. Marquez said she never saw her friend get angry and that she often responded to problems by insisting everything would be OK. In comments that reflected both grief and strain, Marquez also spoke about broader challenges facing Native Hawaiians, including mental health care access, while saying she would not speak badly about the suspect.

The case now turns to routine but high-stakes steps that can take weeks or months. Investigators are expected to complete forensic testing and interview witnesses who can help establish what happened inside the house and when. Prosecutors will also review the autopsy findings to confirm the cause of death and to decide whether additional charges are warranted. Defense attorneys typically begin gathering records, requesting evidence from prosecutors, and preparing arguments about what happened and what should be heard by a jury if the case goes to trial.

A judge scheduled a preliminary hearing for Friday, Dec. 26, according to court information shared in local reporting, a hearing that can preview some evidence and set the schedule for future proceedings. At that stage, prosecutors may call a law enforcement witness to summarize the investigation so far, while the defense may challenge parts of the state’s case and ask the court to consider limits on what can be used later. If the case moves forward, the next steps can include a grand jury process, additional hearings on evidence, and later trial dates that are often set well after the initial arrest.

For now, Auna remains in custody on the second-degree murder charge with bail set at $500,000. Police have not said whether the 27-year-old woman who was arrested and released will face any charges. Officials have also not released the autopsy results, leaving key questions unanswered about the precise cause of Hanapi-Auna’s death and the events that led up to it.

Author note: Last updated December 26, 2025.