Victim Identified, Suspect Charged in Pāhoa Murder

Stanley Marion Cummins

Police have identified the victim and charged a suspect with murder in the death of a Pāhoa man over the weekend.

Hawaiʻi Island Police charged 51-year-old Stanley Marion Cummins, of Pāhoa, with the murder of 35-year-old Jace Whitney Keakahi Ahquin, also of Pāhoa. On Sunday, detectives charged Cummins with murder in the second-degree.

On Saturday morning, June 20, around 7 a.m., Puna Patrol officers responded to the Hawaiian Shores home after it was reported that a male victim had been struck in the head with a bat.

Upon officer’s arrival at the home, they located the victim in bed on the ground floor of the residence with apparent traumatic injuries to his head and facial area consistent with being beaten, a police report said. Lifesaving efforts were undertaken, the report continued, but police could not revive the victim.

At approximately 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Cummins drove to the Pāhoa Police Station and turned himself in to the police. He was arrested without incident, police said.

The victim was transported to the Hilo Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 12:05 p.m. An autopsy will be performed early this week to determine the exact cause of death.

Suspect and victim knew one another, as Ahquin was renting a room on a property owned by Cummins.

Cummins is being held in lieu of $1,000,000 bail pending his initial court appearance scheduled for Monday, June 22 in Hilo District Court.

Anyone who may have information about this incident is asked to call Detective Wendell Carter of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section at 808-961-2383 or [email protected] or the Hawaiʻi Police Department’s non-emergency line at 808-935-3311.