Hawai’i Island police have arrested a Kea‘au man for second-degree murder after the discovery of a badly burned body within a vehicle in Puna. After receiving information about a vehicle that had been set on fire with a body inside, Puna patrol officers responded to Beach Road off of Maku‘u Drive on Saturday, April 23. Officers located the vehicle with the charred remains in the bushes approximately 100 feet off of the roadway. Detectives from the Area I Criminal Investigation Section responded to the scene to continue the investigation. Following up on leads, they identified 35-year-old Ammon K.S. Stanley of Puna, as a suspect. Later he was located at a residence on 35th Avenue in Kea‘au, where he was arrested for second-degree murder.The victim, whose name is being withheld pending positive identification and notification of next of kin, was transported to Hilo Medical Center where an official pronouncement of death was made.An autopsy is scheduled for early next week to determine the exact cause of death. The victim’s identification will be done by means of DNA comparison.Police are asking anyone with information on this incident to contact Detective John Balberde at (808) 961-2386 or email him at John.Balberde@hawaiicounty.gov or call the police department’s non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311.
Photo credit: Hawaiʻi County Police Department