Gunman May Have Strangled on Own Vest : Autopsy: Neckline of bulletproof protector apparently choked David Fukuto during struggle after he killed two officers.

A judge’s son who shot two Palos Verdes Estates police commanders to death at a motivational seminar apparently was strangled by the neckline of his bulletproof vest as officers tried to subdue him, according to sources, who also said they are not convinced robbery was the motive.

David J. Fukuto, 32, who last week burst into a Torrance Holiday Inn conference room with a pistol in each hand, was restrained by three members of the tiny South Bay department after he opened fire on Capt. Michael Tracy and Sgt. Vernon Thomas Vanderpool.

Although a coroner’s report has not been completed, sources close to the investigation said a preliminary examination of Fukuto’s body suggested that his sturdy synthetic-fiber vest rode up against his windpipe as he struggled to break free. Initially, the sources said, there had been indications that Fukuto died from a control hold applied by the officers.

“It’s going to come out that he probably strangled himself in his attempt to get out of the officers’ grasp,” said one of the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “He did himself.”

A spokesman for the coroner’s office declined to comment, citing an order from the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office that the autopsy results be kept confidential for 45 days. A spokeswoman for that office said Thursday that there were no plans to lift the hold sooner.

A relative of the gunman, whose father, Morio L. Fukuto, is a respected state appellate court justice, said the family was too consumed with grief and embarrassment to worry about the details of his death. Considering that he could have faced the gas chamber if he survived, “it was probably the most merciful thing that could have happened for everyone concerned,” said the family member.

The account of Fukuto’s death is one of several new details to emerge, some of which raise more questions about the attack than they answer.

A Torrance police sergeant who is helping supervise the investigation said that detectives are no longer sure that Fukuto’s motive was robbery, which had been the only explanation provided by officials for his Valentine’s Day raid on the 12th-floor conference room.

Fukuto, who was carrying 30 to 40 pairs of plastic handcuffs in a fanny pack, fired on Vanderpool after the veteran officer stood up to challenge him. He shot Tracy after the captain went to his fallen comrade’s aid.

“There is some difference of opinion among the people in that room as to what his motive was,” said Sgt. Ron Traber, declining to elaborate. “We’re not absolutely convinced it was a robbery. By the same token, we don’t know what else his motive could have been.”

Part of the confusion apparently stems from Fukuto’s remarks as he burst through the doorway just as the all-day seminar was wrapping up. At first, officials believed he was intent on robbery because Fukuto reportedly stated, “This is a robbery.” But one source said that of the 13 people in the room, only one now recalls Fukuto making that remark.

In an affidavit that was used to obtain the search warrant, Torrance Police Detective James Cook quotes Fukuto as saying, “This is not a joke. Everyone put your hands behind your neck. I have a silencer.” After firing a warning shot from the silenced weapon into a wall, the affidavit says, Fukuto repeated: “So, it’s no joke.”

A search of the Mid-City home Fukuto shared with his grandmother revealed that he was fascinated with paramilitary gear and survivalist-themed magazines. Along with numerous weapons and ammunition, detectives also seized computer disks, notebooks, phone bills, the cassette from an answering machine, a roll of film and a photo of Fukuto with a girlfriend.

But so far, sources said, none of it has revealed an explanation for the attack or linked him to any other crime. “Nothing,” said one source knowledgeable about the case. “That’s what makes this so bizarre.”

Fukuto, who worked as a telemarketer for an insurance company, was rejected by the Los Angeles Police Department when he applied to be an officer shortly after the 1992 riots. Hoping to clear up rumors of a possible link to Palos Verdes Estates, city officials this week said he had never applied for a job or been arrested there.

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But in another strange twist, The Times has learned that for 15 years the Fukuto family lived five houses away from the family of Palos Verdes Estates Police Lt. Ed Jaakola, who was among the department’s top brass attending the Holiday Inn seminar.

The 51-year-old Jaakola, who is considerably older than Fukuto, said he had no recollection of him from their old north Torrance neighborhood. “I wouldn’t have known him if he walked past me down the street,” he said.

Fukuto’s two siblings, Steve and Donna, said they had not been aware of the connection and did not think it was significant. “You can come at this from any angle you want,” said Steve Fukuto, 34. “But nothing makes sense.”

Jaakola’s 35-year-old brother, Lance, also did not think there was a link.

Meanwhile, members of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, where Fukuto was on the vestry, have begun taking up a collection for the families of the slain officers, said the Rev. John Yamazaki, pastor emeritus.

Some congregants wanted to attend the officers’ funeral, which drew an estimated 4,000 mourners last Monday. “But we refrained,” Yamazaki said.

Fukuto was buried in a private funeral.

Times staff writer Susan Moffat contributed to this story.