Victim, Suspect In Church Shooting Were Relatives

Tuesday, August 14th 2007, 8:14 pm

By: News On 6

NEOSHO, Mo. (AP) _ Kernal Rehobson and the man now accused of killing him were relatives who took different paths, family members and fellow Micronesian immigrants said: One gained respect in this rural town as a preacher and community leader, while the other lost it by drinking heavily.

When Eiken Elam Saimon opened fire inside a church here Sunday, Rehobson was the first to die, witnesses said. The son of Saimon's cousin, Rehobson was acquainted with Saimon and over the years referred to the older man as ``poppa'' and ``uncle'' to show respect, said Lou Rehobson-Manuel, his sister.

Both men arrived here nearly 20 years ago from Micronesia, seeking a better life, but it was Rehobson who gained influence in Neosho's tightly knit community of hundreds of Micronesian immigrants.

``I think Saimon was jealous,'' Rehobson-Manuel said. ``He wasn't a leader; he didn't do a lot. He likes to party, and Kernal is the opposite.''

Authorities said Saimon entered the church with two handguns, killing three men and wounding four other people. As he approached the congregation of roughly 50 fellow immigrants, witnesses said, he cursed the men as liars and accused them of attacking his reputation behind his back.

Although relatives said the congregation was unaware of it, Saimon's standing in the community was in jeopardy even before the shooting. A 14-year-old female relative told police just hours earlier that Saimon had sexually assaulted her.

``In the (Micronesian) custom, it is low, low'' to be accused of such a crime, said Atryino Dolon, who first met Saimon in 1989. ``I don't think he would be welcome anywhere.''

Court documents show Saimon has a public defender, Kathy Byrnes-Ales. She does not have a listed telephone number.

For Micronesian immigrants here, belonging can mean everything. Those who are in good standing with the community have a bedrock network of supportive friends and family. Those who are shunned can find themselves strangers in a lonely town thousands of miles from home.

``It's very important for all of us to have your people,'' Dolon said. Without the support, ``you're just out here somewhere. You have nobody.''

Saimon, 52, surrendered to police after the shooting and is being held without bond in Newton County jail. Judge Gregory Stremel revoked Saimon's bond on Tuesday, agreeing with prosecutors that Saimon is a potential threat to the community and a flight risk. The next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 28.

Saimon is charged with three counts of first-degree murder, four counts of assault and one count of felonious restraint on suspicion of holding the congregation hostage before police arrived.

Relatives of the victims gathered at Rehobson's home Tuesday to mourn the 43-year-old and the others who died _ his uncle, Intenson Rehobson, 44, and a family friend, Kuhpes Jesse Ikosia, 53. All lived in Goodman, just a few miles south of Neosho.

Relatives said they will gather nightly, according to custom, until all three men are buried in a joint funeral ceremony Saturday.

The injured were identified as Jim M. Handy, Melihna Tara, Dahnny Jack and Kendey Handy. Initial reports were that a fifth person was shot, but it was later determined that the person only received a minor injury during the chaos.

Neosho Police Chief David McCracken said Saimon had been arrested a handful of times over the years for public intoxication, although police never considered him a dangerous person.

``It appears that (Saimon) had had some drinks prior to'' the shooting, McCracken said. ``It does not appear that he was highly intoxicated.''

Some fellow immigrants said Saiman has a reputation for drinking and cursing in public.

``He was an alcoholic for a long, long time,'' said William Wolbhagen, a Micronesian immigrant who arrived here in 2004. ``He starts using bad words and telling nonsense stories about how brave he was when he was young, and how many people he fought.''

The community of Micronesians has blossomed here in recent years as a growing network of friends and relatives arrive in search of jobs and schooling they cannot find at home.

Relatives say there was no long-standing feud between Saimon and Rehobson. Saimon arrived in town in the mid-1980s, according to authorities, and Rehobson arrived a few years later.

McCracken said that sheriff's deputies seized four or five guns from Saimon's home, and that all the weapons were legally purchased and permitted. Police have not been able to determine whether Saimon had a job, McCracken said.

Newton County Sheriff Ken Copeland said Saimon's relative made the sexual assault allegation late Saturday night or early Sunday morning. Police met her and her parents at a hospital to get details of her account. No charges have been filed in that case, and a sheriff's department spokesman declined to say whether any will be sought.