Hawaiʻi Police Department
Area I Criminal Investigation Section
Lieutenant Miles Chong
Phone: 961-2252
Report No.: C17033762
Media Release
Hawaiʻi Island police have opened a Coroner’s Inquest investigation in connection with a body that was found in Puna.
At 3:00 p.m. Tuesday afternoon (December 5), patrol officers responded to the Kalapana Gardens area after a hiker discovered a body clad in a gray colored t-shirt and green colored shorts in a remote location along the coastline.
Detectives with the Area I Criminal Investigation Section responded to the scene, but because of the body’s advanced state of decomposition, neither the age, gender or identity of the victim could be immediately determined. Due to darkness and limited accessibility to the area, police secured the scene until the next morning.
The following morning (December 6), detectives returned to the scene, which had been held by patrol officers, and with the assistance of the Fire Department’s helicopter, the body was airlifted out of the area. It was taken to the Hilo Medical Center where the official pronouncement of death was made at 12:30 p.m. An autopsy has been requested to determine the exact cause of death. This is currently classified as an unattended death.
Anyone who may have saw someone with this clothing description in the area or have any other information about this incident is asked to call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311 or Detective Wendall Carter of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section at (808) 961-2383 or Wendall.Carter@hawaiicounty.gov.