Posted at 9:27 a.m., Tuesday, October 16, 2001

Man kills wife, then self in apparent murder-suicide

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

A 41-year-old man stabbed his 43-year-old wife to death then killed himself by slashing his throat last night following an apparent domestic argument in a downtown apartment, police said.

A women neighbor called an off-duty Honolulu police officer who lives in the building. The officer went to the 20th floor to investigate, police said.

The officer saw the man stabbing the woman in the hallway and told the neighbor to call 911. As the officer was standing in the hallway, the assailant allegedly came after the officer with his kitchen knife.

The officer, who was unarmed, retreated to his room and got his gun. He returned to the scene to find beat officers already there and the man with a self-inflicted knife wound.

The woman suffered multiple stab wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. The husband was taken to the Queen's Medical Center where he later died.

The names of the husband and wife have not been released by the medical examiner.

According to police, the murder-suicide happened just before 11:30 p.m. at 860 Halekauwila St. when a woman heard screams on her 20th floor.