Man Charged With Second-Degree Murder in Connection to Death of Elderly Neighbor

A 33-year-old man was charged with murder following the discovery of a deceased elderly man in Puna.

The victim, identified as 86-year-old Charles Hacker of Pāhoa, was discovered on Wednesday, June 29. According to Hawai‘i police, Puna patrol officers responded to a residence on Kawakawa Street in Hawaiian Shores Subdivision on a report of an elderly man seated in a wheelchair, bleeding from his neck.

Responding officers located the victim seated in a walker-seat in his driveway. He was found unconscious and bleeding profusely from a laceration-type injury to his neck. Responding police and rescue personnel immediately attempted life-saving measures. The victim was transported to the Hilo Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead.

An autopsy was performed Friday morning, July 1, and the forensic pathologist ruled Hacker’s death a homicide.

While at the scene investigating on Wednesday, police received information identifying a suspect in this investigation. Shortly thereafter, police took Cameron Stewart, a neighbor of the victim, into custody on suspicion of second-degree murder.

After conferral with the County Prosecutor’s Office, detectives charged Stewart with second-degree murder. His bail has been set at $1 million. Stewart remains in police custody pending his initial court appearance scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, July 5, in Hilo District Court.

During the course of this investigation detectives served a search warrant on Stewart’s residence, and recovered a recurve bow, various arrows, and other archery-related items.

Stewart and his family moved to the island from Arizona in the middle part of last month.

Police are asking for anyone with information on this incident or who may have been in the area of Kawakawa Street on Wednesday morning between 9-10 a.m., to contact Detective Blaine Morishita of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section, at 808-961-2385 or email him at Blaine.Morishita@hawaiicounty.gov.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the island-wide Crime Stoppers number at 808-961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.