HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — A woman accused of being involved with killing Jason Susuico over a “burned” drug deal pleaded not guilty to murder charges.
On Tuesday, Cynthia Rose Quinata appeared in the Superior Court of Guam via Zoom to answer to charges related to the death of Susuico, a retired Guam Army National Guard recruiter whose remains were found in January.
Quinata was the first of four suspects to be charged in connection to Susuico’s death. She was charged about six months after his remains were discovered, and she had yet to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty to charges of aggravated murder as a first-degree felony and guilty by complicity as a felony.
Reasons for the delayed arraignment hearing included attorneys withdrawing for various reasons, such as having conflicts of interest with the four defendants involved. Magistrate Judge Jonathan Quan recused himself from the case because he knew Susuico and that also caused some delay.
Quinata’s most recently appointed attorney, Minakshi Hemlani, remains assigned to the case. Hemlani appeared with Quinata at the Tuesday hearing before Magistrate Judge Benjamin Sison Jr.
Hemlani, on behalf of Quinata, pleaded not guilty to the charges, waived her right to a speedy trial and also requested the appointment of an investigator.
Sison, in response, granted the request for an investigator and explained Quinata’s case and pending trial would be before Judge Alberto Tolentino.
Manibusan
Immediately after Quinata’s hearing, her alleged co-actor in Susuico’s death, Jason Manibusan, appeared to answer to similar charges.
Manibusan was the fourth suspect arrested and charged in connection to Susuico’s death earlier this month.
However, Manibusan did not enter a plea because his appointed attorney, Darleen Hiton, explained to Sison she needed to withdraw.
“Mr. Manibusan insists on a course of action with which I have a fundamental disagreement or consider repugnant and without disclosing confidential attorney-client information, my office is asking to withdraw,” Hiton said.
Sison granted Hiton’s withdrawal request and appointed attorney David Lujan. Sison told Manibusan he would “have a choice of counsel.”
Sison rescheduled Manibusan’s next hearing for Oct. 5 to allow him time to meet with Lujan.
Homicide
Between the arrest and charging of Quinata and Manibusan, Jordan Babauta and Brandon Rufus Chandler were believed to be suspects by the police.
According to court documents, officers with the Guam Police Department received information from an informant, who said Susuico was murdered at a residence in Pågat, Mangilao. The residence was later found to be rented by Quinata. Police found “large traces of blood on the walls and floors” inside one of the bedrooms of the residence, which resulted in Quinata’s arrest.
The informant also said Susuico was allegedly “beat down” at Quinata’s residence “over a burned drug deal,” court documents state.
After that, Babauta and Chandler were charged after another informant heard the two “talking about how they and another suspect had beaten the victim to death and then used the victim’s vehicle to transport his body to a location adjacent to Route 15 in Yigo.”
Additionally, informants reported Manibusan was allegedly involved in Susuico’s death.
With the four active cases in court, court documents state there may be additional arrests pending, as “police have identified other suspects in the homicide and are still actively looking for them.”
Cynthia Rose Quinata
Sgt. 1st Class Jason Susuico of the Guam Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Battalion during a promotion ceremony in 2014. Susuico’s death is the focus of an ongoing murder case.
