Salt Lake man was shot, autopsy shows

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

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

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

"No weapon was found at the scene," Kato said.

"The medical examiner felt from the angle of the bullet it wasn't self-inflicted," he said. "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 Friday to check on him and discovered the body.

The man 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 say what was missing.

Police did not disclose a possible motive in the case and said they were still trying to gather information.