A 30-year-old Puna man who served time for sexually assaulting a high-profile victims rights advocate has been charged in connection with the disappearance of 44-year-old Hawaiian Acres resident Dante Gilman.
Claude Keoni Krause of Kurtistown was arrested on Thursday. He was charged on Saturday with second-degree murder, first-degree robbery, second-degree theft, two counts of possession of a firearm prohibited, and the use of a firearm in the commission of a separate felony. He remains in police custody with no bail pending his initial court appearance.
On Friday, police also arrested a 19-year-old man, believed to be a relative of Krause, in connection with the case. He has yet to be charged.
Gilman, the son of former Honolulu Star-Bulletin reporter and “Diamond Head” author Peter Gilman, was last seen on Dec. 30 and was reported missing on Jan. 10. Further investigation led police to believe that Gilman may have been the victim of a homicide.
Krause was previously convicted for sexually assaulting Mayapple McCullough and burglarizing her Waa Waa home during a Dec. 19, 2000, break-in.
McCullough, who died in 2009, founded the victims advocacy group Citizens for Justice and was prominent in the early 1990s for her outspoken efforts in pressuring the Big Island police department to identify and charge the killers of Yvonne Mathison and Dana Ireland.
According to court records, Krause was sentenced to 10 years in prison for second-degree sexual assault, two counts of first-degree burglary, unauthorized entry into a motorized vehicle, unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, and criminal contempt of court in the McCullough case.
In 2002, McCullough sued Krause for “intentional and malicious infliction of emotional distress” through the “brutal, animalistic act committed on her.”
The court awarded McCullough $350,000. Krause was serving time in an Arizona prison at the time.
Krause was facing another set of criminal charges when Gilman disappeared.
On Aug. 17, Krause was seen driving a vehicle stolen from a Kurtistown residence. The vehicle was recovered, but Krause allegedly fled before police arrived.
On Dec. 8, Krause was spotted during a police check of a house on Huina Road and was arrested after a brief foot chase. Police said Krause assaulted a 41-year-old officer during the arrest.
Krause was charged with unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest; his bail was set at $22,000 pending an Oct. 10 court appearance.
A bench warrant was issued for Krause on Dec. 14. The reason for the warrant was not specified in court reports.
