MEDIA RELEASE

A Ka’u man was arrested Monday, after a Grand Jury indicted him for murder in the 2006 death of his wife.

Daniel DeJarnette, 59, of Ocean View is charged with second-degree murder for the November 12, 2006, death of 56-year-old Yu DeJarnette.

On that date, Kaʻū patrol officers responded to the DeJarnette home in Hawaiian Ocean View Estates to a reported home accident. Yu DeJarnette had reportedly been found by her husband lying on a lava embankment near their house.

Based on a preliminary investigation by patrol officers, detectives were summoned and conducted a more through investigation.

An autopsy conducted on the victim indicated that she died from extensive head injuries. The case was reclassified from a home accident to a murder.

On November 14, 2006, detectives arrested Daniel DeJarnette on suspicion of murder and held him in custody pending further investigation. After consulting with county prosecutors, he was released on November 16, 2006 pending additional investigation.

This Monday (May 14), A Kona Grand Jury indicted DeJarnette on one count of second-degree murder. His bail was set at $200,000. Police arrested him at his Ocean View home at 4:55 p.m. Monday and held him at the Kona police cellblock until his initial court appearance on Tuesday (May 15).