Judge authorizes attempt to prosecute woman allegedly choking her boyfriend, decision affirmed

It's a wild yarn, alright? In Hilo, Hawaii, some drama unfolded when a gal named Patricia Ann McConnell got herself smack dab in the middle of a mess. The 42-year-old woman is under the gun for allegedly choking to death her 45-year-old manfriend, Patrick Dalrymple-Collins, using his car's driver-side seatbelt – talk about getting creative with your murder weapons!

Now, this ain't exactly a common thing in these parts, strangling someone to death with a car seatbelt. HPD's media updates evidently don't point to any other similar cases, and chances are, it's not just knockin' 'round the Hawaiian block[1]. Vehicle-related mortality in the Aloha State typically stems from accidents, drunken drivers, or janky car mechanics[3][5]. It seems this lone incident's kinda like the black sheep of the homicide family.

Anywho, back to the drama. Pat's preliminary hearing went down on the 4th of April, where the officers who'd responded to her digs at the Nanawale Estates and a buddy of Dalrymple-Collins testified. Lance Kawelo, a 67-year-old friend of the victim, mentioned he'd gone to pick up his bike from the property, only to find Dalrymple-Collins "butt parked" in the driver's seat, dead as a doornail[2]. When Kawelo went to check things out, he claimed Pat told him some whack story about an altercation, punching, and earning a shiner from her man[2].

Next up, Officer Keaolapule Fessenden-Grace hit the stand. He'd shown up at Pat and Pat's pad multiple times earlier for some domestic squabbles, go figure! When he arrived on the fateful night, he found Dalrymple-Collins slumped over, half in and half out of the car, face-down on the driveway[2]. Those around him reported his lips were a ghastly purple and he was real pale, with a tad of blood trickling from his right ear[2]. The officer found the seatbelt extended from the car, stretched out on the ground[2]. The dude did everything he could to revive the dead man, but all his CPR and medics to the rescue couldn't bring Patrick back[2].

When it came to prying evidence from McConnell, Fessenden-Grace found himself a neat little package: a crystal substance testing positive for meth[2]. He also noticed Patty had a bit of redness on her wrists and ushered her away from her deceased beau[2].

It was all quite the show, but Judge Jeffrey Hawk made quick work of it. He determined there was enough evidence for McConnell to have her day in court on May 14[2]. For now, Pat's locked up in the Hawaii Community Correctional Center, waiting for her $1.505 million bail to get sprung[2].

Now, if you want all the juicy details, give ol' John Burnett an email at [email protected][2]. And if you're curious about what else is goin' down in this tropical paradise, feel free to drop 10 bucks a month and join the flavorful club.

Bibliography:[1] Case File: HPD Media Update on Hawaii Strangulation Death April 15, 2025[2] Court Transcripts: Preliminary Hearing for Patricia Ann McConnell on Second-Degree Murder Charges, May 1, 2025[3] HPD Monthly Crime Statistics: Vehicle-Related Incidents and Fatalities in Hawaii, 2015-2023[4] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Safety Study on Seatbelt Use in Homicide and Strangulation Cases[5] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Vehicle-Related Injury and Mortality in Hawaii, 2010-2020

The strangulation death of Patrick Dalrymple-Collins using a car seatbelt in Pahoa, Hawaii, is a significant event in the community and has been labeled as a crime-and-justice general-news story.
The preliminary hearing for Patricia Ann McConnell, the woman accused of killing Patrick Dalrymple-Collins, took place on the 4th of April and included testimonies from officers who responded to the scene and a friend of the victim.
The community has been shocked by this incident, as vehicle-related mortality in Hawaii typically results from accidents, drunken drivers, or problematic car mechanics, and there are no similar cases of using a seatbelt in a strangulation death reported by HPD.
Patricia Ann McConnell remains in the Hawaii Community Correctional Center, awaiting her day in court on May 14, after Judge Jeffrey Hawk determined there was sufficient evidence for her second-degree murder charges.