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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, October 13, 2005

Schofield man charged in ex-girlfriend's death

By Ken Kobayashi
Advertiser Courts Writer

A 21-year-old Army man was indicted by the O'ahu grand jury yesterday on a murder charge of strangling his ex-girlfriend, running over her body with her car and leaving the body in an isolated area in Mokule'ia late Friday night.

If convicted of murdering Felicia LaDuke, Jeffery White would face a mandatory life prison term with parole.

Circuit Judge Derrick Chan confirmed White's bail of $100,000 after city Deputy Prosecutor Vickie Kapp said White's actions show he's "extremely violent and dangerous."

Kapp said White lured LaDuke to the isolated area near Ka'ena Point, strangled her, ran her over and drove off in her car.

White also was indicted on a charge of unauthorized control over the car, a felony that carries a maximum five-year prison term.

The indictment sends the case to trial and cancels a preliminary hearing today for White.

White is scheduled to be arraigned next week in Circuit Court. He is expected to plead not guilty and get a trial date.

White, a Schofield Barracks soldier from Houston, is a truck driver who served a yearlong deployment in Afghanistan. LaDuke, 22, was an Army specialist who recently returned from a seven-month deployment to Iraq and re-enlisted for three more years.

White and LaDuke had a 2-year-old child, according to a police affidavit filed in court this week. The two were involved in a custody dispute over the child, the affidavit said.

Reach Ken Kobayashi at kkobayashi@honoluluadvertiser.com.