HONOLULU — Scott David DeAngelo, who in 2022 escaped by jumping from a burning fourth-floor Pearl City apartment that he set on fire after fatally stabbing his roommate in the neck, has now escaped a possible sentence of life without parole.
Circuit Judge Kevin Souza on Thursday ordered that DeAngelo’s sentences run concurrently, not consecutively, namely life with the possibility of parole for second-degree murder in the stabbing death of roommate Demond Cox, and 20 years for first-degree arson. Cox was a 33-year-old mechanical engineer and businessman.
Souza denied Thursday the state’s requests for extended sentencing for a multiple-felony conviction and back-to-back terms of sentencing in what the judge called the “horrific” and “heinous” crimes committed by DeAngelo, which threatened the lives and property of others living in the apartment complex at 906 Lehua Ave.
A jury found DeAngelo guilty April 12 of second-degree murder and first- degree arson, but the original grand jury indictment, which had a second felony charge, did not include the first-degree arson charge, which came later.
The Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office said the arson investigation was still ongoing when DeAngelo was indicted for the murder.
During trial Souza dismissed a weapons charge, which left a single charge of murder of the original indictment, so at sentencing he sided with Deputy Public Defender Titiimaea Taase that the grand jury had not agreed to extended sentencing for the arson charge.
The judge said he found the nature and circumstances of the crimes nothing less than horrific — murdering Cox, setting the apartment on fire, endangering a number of others in the apartment complex and fleeing.
“He seemed to make light of the situation by a comment he made in the hospital,” the judge said.
Deputy Prosecutor Kyle Mesa said DeAngelo showed no remorse, smiling when he was at the hospital, where he was treated for his injuries from his jump and saying, “That was some real John Wick sh—.”
Mesa called DeAngelo manipulative and deceptive — destroying his and Cox’s cellphones in water, threatening to kill North Shore residents and their families after giving them false accounts of how he sustained injuries. DeAngelo ended up on the North Shore after fleeing in Cox’s car.
Mesa also cited pretrial sentencing reports, which said he was found in jail with a vape and a crystal substance, and a razor with the blade replaced by tin foil.
During trial an expert found DeAngelo’s DNA and not Cox’s on the trigger of a gun, although DeAngelo claimed Cox held the gun to his head. DeAngelo was also found with Cox’s credit card.
Mesa said DeAngelo took Cox’s life for no reason and set fire to the apartment, endangering the lives of other residents.
Cox’s mainland relatives, some of whom attended the trial in person, appeared by Zoom on Thursday.
Quameca Scott said her son was special because of his character and was a role model for his six younger siblings, being the first male in the family to graduate from college, who obtained a master’s degree in engineering.
“There’s no justice that can be done in this courtroom,” she said. “But what my desire is is that this young man remain incarcerated for as long as you can possibly have him there so that no other parent or person will have to feel what I’m feeling.”
Aaliyah Scott said that after losing her father, her brother “was a father figure to me,” took her to her basketball games, helped their mother financially and helped her achieve her aspirations, obtaining her master’s degree.
Sister Gabrielle Scott said Cox was as close to perfect as he could have been, and asked for the most amount of time to have DeAngelo sit in prison to help “us grieve.”
Neighbor Raymond Souza, 79, said, Cox “was a very good friend, helpful and very friendly.” He said he could not return to his apartment for one year due to repairs for water damage from the fire suppression.
Cox sublet a portion of his rented apartment to DeAngelo and tried to end the arrangement well in advance, but DeAngelo refused to leave, even after Cox’s mainland visitors, who were to stay with Cox, arrived earlier on the day of the fatal stabbing, Feb. 7, 2022, the prosecution showed during trial. The stabbing occurred later that evening.
DeAngelo, who testified he was defending himself when he grabbed a fishing knife and stabbed Cox in the neck, told the judge Thursday, “I’m planning to appeal,” and appeared unfazed throughout the sentencing.
The Florida native said he hoped Cox’s family and friends “may find hope and peace in the future,” and thanked his own family and friends.
