Hawai’i Island Police have charged 27-year-old Ioane Asagra, of Captain Cook, with murder and arson stemming from the shooting death of Joey Richmond at Keauhou Kainaliu Beach Road, also known as “End of the World.”

On the evening of Tuesday, May 25, 2021, police responded to a report of an unresponsive male lying on the ground at Keauhou Kainaliu Beach Road. Upon arrival, Kona patrol officers discovered a male party, later identified as 46-year-old Joey Richmond, of Kailua-Kona, with what appeared to be multiple gunshot wounds.  He was transported to the Hilo Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.  An autopsy conducted on May 26, 2021 shows that Richmond died from multiple gunshot wounds to the body, and that the manner of death is 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 and had been burned.

On Wednesday, June 16, 2021, detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigation Section arrested Asagra on an outstanding warrant of arrest for suspicion of murder in the second degree.  After conferring with County Prosecutors, Area II Criminal Investigation Section detectives charged Asagra with second-degree murder and arson on Thursday, June 17, 2021.

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, 2021, 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, via email at Kimmerlyn.Makuakane-Jarrell@hawaiicounty.gov,  or the police department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311.

 

Photo of Ioane Asagra courtesy of the Hawaiʻi County Police Department