Court told of suspect's 'vision'
By Jim Dooley
Advertiser Staff Writer
Jason Lee McCormick, the man accused last week in a 14-year-old murder case,
confessed to the crime in August 2008, telling police he "had a vision" of the homicide,
defense lawyer Michael Green said yesterday.
McCormick, 36, is charged with second-degree murder in the July 1996 death of Robert
Henderson, a University of Pittsburgh professor who was visiting here.
McCormick was arraigned on the charge yesterday morning in Circuit Court via a video
link to O'ahu Community Correctional Center, where he is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Green said McCormick has a history of mental and alcohol abuse problems and first
confessed to the Henderson murder to medical personnel and police when he was being
treated in 2008 at The Queen's Medical Center's Kekela Ward, a psychiatric treatment unit.
"They didn't believe him, so when he was released he went straight to police and
confessed again," Green said.
McCormick knew details of the Henderson murder that had not been released publicly,
the lawyer said.
He could not explain why police and prosecutors took nearly two more years to bring the
murder charge.
"It's a very interesting case," Green said. "It's the kind of thing they make movies out of."
