MEDIA RELEASE

Hawaiʻi Island police have launched a murder investigation after the discovery of a body along the Bayfront Highway in Hilo.

On Saturday (December 29) at about 8:47 p.m., police received a number of calls of possible gunshots heard in the area of Moʻoheau Park in Hilo. Responding officers discovered an unresponsive male victim with apparent gunshot wounds.

Police have positively identified the victim as 32 year-old Faafetai Fiu of Hilo.

The suspect in this investigation remains at large.

The Bayfront Highway was closed to traffic from Pauahi Street to Waianuenue Avenue while detectives from the Area I Criminal Investigations Section responded and are continuing the investigation, which is classified as a second-degree murder. The highway is expected to remain closed throughout Sunday. Traffic is being routed onto Kamehameha Avenue into Downtown Hilo.

An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday morning to determine the exact cause of death.

Police ask that anyone with information or who may have witnessed this incident contact Detective Robert Almeida at 961-2386 or ralmeida@co.hawaii.hi.us or Detective Norbert Serrao at 961-2383 nserrao@co.hawaii.hi.us.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona 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.

UPDATED (12/30/2012 at 11:51 AM)

Hawaii County Police report that Hilo Bayfront Highway is now open to traffic.

UPDATED (12/30/2012 at 2:20 PM)

Hawaiʻi Island police continue to requests the public’s assistance in a murder investigation following the discovery of a body along Bayfront Highway in Hilo.

Detectives from the Area I Criminal Investigations Section and an evidence specialist continued processing the scene Sunday morning (December 30) and recovered evidence, which will be sent to a forensic lab for analysis.

Bayfront Highway was opened shortly after 10 a.m. after being closed in both directions overnight while detectives investigated the incident, which is classified as a second-degree murder.

Detectives are also reviewing videos from various businesses and establishments along Kamehameha Avenue.

Investigators also want to interview fishermen who frequent the Bayfront area, which is a popular location for shoreline fishing, and who may have left before police could contact them. In addition, police are asking that motorists or pedestrians call police if they were in the area and witnessed a confrontation near a silver or light-colored vehicle that was parked on the makai shoulder of the highway just makai of the Moʻoheau ball field.

On Saturday (December 29) at about 8:47 p.m., police received a number of calls of possible gunshots heard in the area of Moʻoheau Park in Hilo. Responding officers discovered an unresponsive male victim with apparent gunshot wounds.

Faafetai Fiu, 32, of Hilo was identified as the victim. He was taken to Hilo Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

No arrests have been made in this investigation.

An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday morning to determine the exact cause of death.

Police ask that anyone with information or who may have witnessed this incident contact Detective Robert Almeida at 961-2386 or ralmeida@co.hawaii.hi.us or Detective Norbert Serrao at 961-2383 nserrao@co.hawaii.hi.us.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona 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.