Slain men,
possibly from Mexico,
died of gunshots to head

Neighbors in the Volcano subdivision
said the unidentified victims
kept to themselves

By Rod Thompson
Star-Bulletin

HILO -- Autopsies have determined that two men found dead at a house in a Volcano subdivision Saturday each died of a gunshot wound to the head, police said.

But it's still uncertain who the men were -- or why they were killed.

Police discovered the bodies after being directed to Mauna Loa Estates subdivision 26 miles southwest of Hilo by an anonymous caller.

The caller told police there were three bodies, but the caller was apparently conveying a message from someone else and got the number of bodies wrong, said acting Lt. Steven Guillermo.

Each man was shot once in the head by a small-caliber firearm, the autopsies found.

One man was found inside the two-bedroom house; the other, outside and lightly covered with dirt and vegetation.

The subdivision consists of mostly undeveloped half-acre lots carved into a native ohia and hapuu fern forest.

Police said the victims are believed to be Mexican nationals, but have not been able to confirm that.

Hilo bookbinder Jesus Sanchez, known for his links to Mexican and other Hispanic communities on the Big Island, said none of his contacts knew the two men.

That suggests that the victims, if they were Hispanic, had not been on the island long and kept to themselves, he said. That in turn has led to speculation they may have been involved in drug trafficking, he said.

A Star-Bulletin check of the forested grounds around the house revealed a network of trails and open spots into the forest.

Guillermo, though, said no drugs or evidence of growing marijuana was found.

Joe Mainaaupo, who lives on the street where the bodies were found, said the victims' house is a rental unit.

Several weeks ago he drove past two men at the house and waved to them but they did not respond, he said.

They appeared possibly local or Mexican, but didn't act like local people, he said.

"I knew they're not from around here," Mainaaupo said.

The men were about 25 years old, matching a police description of the victims.

About a week ago, Mainaaupo saw four new cars, perhaps rental cars, parked at the house, an unusual event, he said.

Then on Thursday night his and other dogs in the neighborhood started barking, Mainaaupo said. Unlike other times, the dogs didn't stop barking until several hours later, perhaps 1 a.m., he said.

Guillermo said the victims had been dead for some time before police found them, and attempts are still being made to determine the time of death.

Rick Parker, another neighbor, said renters at the house changed frequently.

"Whoever they were, they kept to themselves," Parker said.

"This is a nice neighborhood. It's full of a lot of professional people and a lot of artists," he said.

"This is kind of a surprise to everybody. We're just shocked."