Posted at 9:50 a.m., Tuesday, May 8, 2001

Salt Lake man's death investigated as murder

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

Police investigators have opened a murder investigation after a 46-year-old self-employed contractor was found dead in his Salt Lake home on Friday.

The man's decomposed body was found Friday at his 3045 Kahikolu Way home and autopsy results yesterday showed the man had been shot once through the chest, said Honolulu Police Department Homicide Lt. Bill Kato.

"No weapon was found at scene," Kato said. "The medical examiner felt from the angle of the bullet it wasn't self inflicted. There was no powder or anything near the skin that showed (the gun) was fired at close range."

Police said the man's father went to his son's house on Friday to check on him and discovered the body.

The son lived alone in his one-story home and neighbors reported that they last saw him walking around on April 26 or 27, police said.

Police said the man's house had been searched and items were missing. Police did not disclose the missing items.

No motive has been disclosed in the case and police said they were still trying to gather information.