Hawaiʻi Police Department
Criminal Investigations Section, Area I
Lieutenant Gregory Esteban
Phone: 961-2252
Report No. C15000482
Media Release
A body found in Puna on Tuesday (January 7) has been identified as 49-year-old Jann L. Nakoa of Keaʻau, who had been missing since January 1.
At 3 p.m. Tuesday, an opihiki picker found the body about 100 feet from the ocean along the shoreline between Hilo and Keaʻau about two-and-a-half miles north of Haʻena Point. Fire Department personnel airlifted him out of the area.
Nakoa’s identity was confirmed Wednesday (January 7) through fingerprints.
Police do not suspect foul play. An autopsy has been scheduled for Friday (January 9) to determine the exact cause of death.