Police Reclassify Death as Murder 07-01-01

HAWAII COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT
HILO CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION SECTION
LIEUTENANT DEREK D. PACHECO
PHONE: 961-2252
JULY 1, 2001

MEDIA RELEASE UPDATE

Hilo Criminal Investigation Section detectives have reclassified as murder the death of an unknown person found badly burned in a vehicle.

Police said the body is that of a male who was found burned beyond recognition Friday (June 29, 2001) inside a vehicle left on North Kopua Road in the Mountain View area of Puna.

Although the exact cause of death has not yet been determined, detectives said that the circumstances surrounded the victim’s death, such as that he was already dead when he was burned, point to foul play.

Police reclassified the case from a coroner’s inquest after receiving the results of an autopsy conducted Sunday (July 1, 2001). The victim has yet to be identified, however.

Detectives are asking that anyone with any information about the case or the identity of the victim to call Detective Dana Chong Tim of the Hilo CIS at 961-2380.

Those who wish to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona. The numbers are answered 24 hours a day. Callers will be given a coded number and their identity will remain anonymous. Callers may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 if their call leads to an arrest, indictment or the recovery of property. Crime Stoppers neither subscribes to “Caller ID,” nor does it record phone calls.

# # #


This entry was posted in Media Releases. Bookmark the permalink. Both comments and trackbacks are currently closed.
  • Keep your community safe through Crime Stoppers

    Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the island-wide Crime Stoppers number at 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.00. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers does not record calls or subscribe to any Caller ID service. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.

    The Crime Stoppers TV Program is available on-demand from Nā Leo TV.