MEDIA RELEASE

An autopsy was conducted Wednesday (March 12) on human remains found in South Kohala on Monday.

The medical examiner determined the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and the manner of death was homicide.

Detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigations Section have reclassified the case from a coroner’s inquest to a murder. They are attempting to identify the victim through forensics.

Detectives located the human remains at approximately 5:30 p.m. Monday (March 10) on vacant land between Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway and Puakō Beach Drive.

UPDATED (3/13/2014 at 2:43 PM)

The human remains found in South Kohala on Monday have been identified through dental records as 37-year-old Robert Keawe Lopaka Ryder of Kailua-Kona, who had been reported missing.

Ryder’s family reported on January 17 that they had not heard from him since Thanksgiving 2013.

During an autopsy conducted on Wednesday (March 12), the medical examiner determined that the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and that the manner of death was homicide.

Detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigations Section are investigating the case as a murder.

Detectives located the human remains at approximately 5:30 p.m. Monday (March 10) on vacant land between Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway and Puakō Beach Drive.