Back to Hawaii News index

Posted: Thursday, June 28th, 2012 9:19 AM HST

Guilty plea in South Kohala beating death

By Ken Hupp - 67AM KPUA News

A Washington state man has pled guilty to killing his girlfriend in May 2011 at a South Kohala resort. 46-year old Philip Howard Zimmerman and 44-year old Susan Brockert of Bellevue, Washington were staying at the Fairmont Orchid when cries for help were heard from their room. Hotel staff rushed to the scene where a housekeeper said she saw Zimmerman hit Brockert with a large piece of granite from the room's coffee table. Brockert was taken to North Hawai`i Community Hospital, where she died from her injuries. Zimmerman agreed to plead guilty to second degree murder, kidnapping and criminal property damage in exchange for prosecutors not seeking an enhanced sentence of life without the possibility of parole. He could still receive consecutive terms, including life with parole when he’s sentenced on September 27th by Kona Circuit Judge Ron Ibarra.