Richard Taifane, the younger brother of accused murderer Toi Nofoa, testified in court today that Nofoa admitted shooting Royal Kaukani to death March 17.

The testimony came in a preliminary hearing that ended with a District Court Judge ordering Nofoa, 31, held over for trial on charges including the first degree murder of Kaukani, 25, Nofoa's former girlfriend.

According to other witness testimony in the hearing, Nofoa first shot Kaukani as he was standing outside her car on an Ewa Beach residential street, then got in her car with her and shot her a second time some five to 10 minutes later.

The first gunshot wound grazed Kaukani's left cheek and probably was non-fatal, according to Dr. William Goodhue, first deputy medical examiner. The second, fatal shot was fired into the back of her neck, fracturing her spinal column and jaw before exiting her right cheek, Goodhue testified.

At the request of Senior Deputy Prosecutor Maurice Arrisgado, District Judge Edwin Nacino bound Nofoa over for trial on the murder and related firearms charges. He is to be arraigned Monday morning and is being held in lieu of $4 million bail.

If convicted, Nofoa faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.

He is charged with first degree murder because Kaukani was scheduled to be a witness against him in an earlier kidnaping and terroristic threatening case.