‘Ōmao Man Found Guilty of Murdering Landlord

A man has been convicted of murder in Kaua´i’s Fifth Circuit Court.

Prosecuting Attorney Justin F. Kollar announced Friday, May 21, that a jury found Peter D. Grewer, 65, formerly of ‘Ōmao, guilty of murder in the second degree for killing his landlord and retired schoolteacher, Joellen Hartman.

This was the first criminal jury trial on Kaua‘i since the COVID-19 pandemic started in February of 2020. The jury trial commenced on April 19, 2021, but was continued mid-trial for two weeks due to a COVID-related issue. Presentation of evidence resumed on Monday, May 17. 

The jury deliberated for about two hours before finding Grewer guilty as charged. Fifth Circuit Chief Judge Randal G.B. Valenciano presided over the trial. Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys Kimberly A. Torigoe and Matthew H. Arakawa prosecuted the case. Christopher Calio of the Kaua‘i Police Department’s Investigative Services Bureau was the lead investigator on the case.

According to witness testimony and other evidence, shortly after Ms. Hartman evicted Grewer from the rental he occupied on her property, Ms. Hartman was found dead from 17 stab wounds. She was discovered inside of her locked home on Pune’e Road in ‘Omao, deceased in her wheelchair. Thereafter, police obtained a search warrant for Grewer’s rental unit. Inside, police found shorts stained with Ms. Hartman’s blood and Ms. Hartman’s keys for her home and vehicle. The police also observed fresh scratches on Grewer’s chest, and Grewer’s DNA was found under Ms. Hartman’s fingernails and on her fingertips. 

Kollar stated: “Nothing we do can bring Joellen Hartman back to life, but today we achieved a measure of justice. I am grateful to each person who helped bring this case to this verdict and I am thankful to the jurors for their service. Trying a highly complex case like this during a pandemic was quite an undertaking and it took a first-rate team of attorneys, victim advocates, clerks, and many others to get the job done – and they delivered in exemplary fashion. We will continue holding Ms. Hartman’s friends and family in our thoughts.”

Grewer will be sentenced on Aug. 12, 2021. An extended-term hearing is scheduled for Monday, May 24 to determine whether Grewer will be eligible to be sentenced to an extended term of life without the possibility of parole.