HawaiHawaiʻii Police Department
Criminal Investigations Section, Area II
Lieutenant Gerald Wike
Phone: 326-4646, Ext. 266
Report No. Ca4017174
Media Release (update)
A 52-year-old man found badly injured in Kailua-Kona on Tuesday morning has died of his injuries.
Walter Kamana of Kailua-Kona was pronounced dead at The Queen’s Medical Center on Oahu at 9:16 a.m. Wednesday (July 2). The Honolulu Medical Examiner’s office is scheduled to conduct an autopsy Thursday (July 3) to determine the exact cause of death.
The case was initially classified as an assault. Detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigations Section are awaiting results of the autopsy before reclassifying it. They continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death.
At 5:55 a.m. Tuesday (July 1), patrol officers conducting routine checks near the Kailua pier observed an unconscious local male, later identified as Kamana, lying face down on the makai sidewalk of Aliʻi Drive by the sea wall.
He was taken to Kona Community Hospital with a head injury and later moved to Queen’s in critical condition.
Police are looking for witnesses, including canoe paddlers observed in the area, who may have seen the incident. They ask anyone with any information about this case to call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311 or contact Detective Shawn Tingle at 326-4646, extension 277, or stingle@co.hawaii.hi.us.
Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the islandwide Crime Stoppers number at 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers doesn’t record calls or subscribe to caller ID. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.