Karl R. Ek, left, appears in court with his lawyer, John E. MacDonald, yesterday.

The Providence Journal / John Freidah

SOUTH KINGSTOWN — A Narragansett man who is accused of killing his roommate with a gunshot to the back of the head was denied bail yesterday on the grounds that he is a danger to the community and might flee if set free.

Karl R. Ek, a retired lobsterman, faces possible consecutive life sentences if found guilty, and he also owes money on his house and has no family in Rhode Island — factors that convinced District Court Judge William C. Clifton that he should remain in custody.

The police say that Ek, 65, on Aug. 11 shot his longtime roommate, John M. Capuano, 46, with a .22-caliber handgun and then called the police to report that he had blown his friend’s “head off.”

He is charged with murder and the discharge of a firearm while committing a violent act resulting in death.

Assistant Attorney General Stephen Regine, arguing against bail, told Clifton that the crime was one of the “most violent and heinous crimes imaginable.”

“This isn’t a murder, Judge,” he said, “this was an execution. He executed his roommate by shooting him in the back of the head.”

Ek appeared in court yesterday with two lawyers who argued that his long ties to Narragansett — he has lived in the same house for 58 years, they said — and the lack of any history of crime or violence in his past were good reasons to release him on bail.

“Again and again, he has been described as caring, gentle, docile,” defense lawyer John E. McDonald said, referring to written comments from Ek’s neighbors.

Regine, however, said Ek’s gentle demeanor was another reason to deny bail because it makes him more dangerous in light of the charges.

The bail hearing drew three of Ek’s neighbors, who came to support him.

Lynn Holden, a neighbor on Circuit Drive, said he believed Ek should be released if for no other reason than his health. He has survived three heart attacks, lung cancer and colon cancer, according to his lawyers.

Also present were Capuano’s mother, Patricia Capuano of Providence, and sister, Joanne Medeiros of Fall River. Both said Ek’s neighbors have distorted the relationship between the two, portraying Ek as a victim of Capuano’s antics. On the contrary, Capuano was a caring person who took care of Ek while he was sick, they said.

“John was a very good person, he had a very good heart,” Medeiros said.

The case will now go to a grand jury to determine if there is evidence to bring Ek to trial, said Michael J. Healey, a spokesman for the attorney general.

redgar@projo.com