Police investigating deadly beating of elderly woman in Hilo recreation area May 28; but no arrest yet

No arrests have been made nearly a week after a 73-year-old woman from Hilo was found beaten to death in the Wailoa River State Recreation Area.

South Hilo patrol officers responded to Pi‘opi‘o Street in Hilo near the Wailoa Art Center at 8 a.m. on May 28 after an employee with the State of Hawai‘i Parks Division found the unresponsive female. She was not breathing and had suffered injuries to her head and face consistent with being physically assaulted, according to a police news release.

She was pronounced dead at 8:38 a.m. at Hilo Benioff Medical Center.

The victim was discovered on the same day an islandwide manhunt was underway for Jacob Baker, the lone suspect in the deaths of three elderly men earlier in the week.

Hawai‘i Island police quickly confirmed that Baker was not responsible for the woman’s death.

Hawai‘i Police Department spokesperson Denise Laitinen would not say if any suspects have been identified, but she did say detectives currently are tracking down all potential leads.

Preliminary autopsy findings have the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head and “the manner of death is deemed homicide,” Laitinen said in an email to Big Island Now on Wednesday. Toxicology and the official autopsy report have not yet been released.

The victim has been positively identified through fingerprints, but Laitinen said police are withholding her name because her family has yet to be contacted.

Police ask anyone who may have witnessed this incident to contact Det. Sybastian Keltner of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section at 808-961-2326, or via email at sybastian.keltner@hawaiipolice.gov.

They can also contact the police department’s non-emergency number at 808-935-3311.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 808-961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward up to $1,000. All Crime Stoppers information is confidential.