Big Island Man Charged With Murder, Arson

Big Island authorities have officially charged a Captain Cook man with murder and arson.

Ioane Asagra, 27, is accused of shooting victim Joey Richmond to death on Keauhou Kainaliu Beach Road, commonly known as End of the World, back in May.  

Shortly after 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 25, 2021, Hawai´i County Police responded to a report of an unresponsive male lying on the ground at the End of the World area.

Kona patrol officers, upon their arrival, discovered a the victim, later identified as the 46-year-old Richmond, with what appeared to be multiple gunshot wounds. He was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.  An autopsy conducted the following day shows that Richmond died from multiple gunshot wounds to the body. The manner of death was ruled homicide.

Detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigation Section continued the investigation and learned that the vehicle Richmond was operating had been removed from the scene. The vehicle was located the following morning on Keala O Keawe Road (Route 160) down an embankment. It had been burned.  

On June 16, at 10:30 a.m., detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigation Section arrested Asagra on an outstanding warrant of arrest for suspicion of murder in the second degree. 

On June 17, at 3:30 p.m., after conferring with County Prosecutors, Area II Criminal Investigation Section detectives charged Asagra with second-degree murder and arson. Asagra remains in police custody at the Kealakehe Police Station in lieu of $550,000 bail pending his initial court appearance, which is scheduled for Friday, June 18, in Kona District Court.

Police ask that anyone who may have information regarding the incident to call Detective Kimmerlyn Makuakane-Jarrell at (808) 326-4646, ext. 262, send an email to Kimmerlyn.Makuakane-Jarrell@hawaiicounty.gov, or contact the police department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311.