Christopher Clayburn Aki, 20, has been charged with second-degree murder in the killing.

The search was being conducted by two divers at a time at the location where Aki told police he disposed of the weapon, according to Lt. Bill Kato, supervisor of Honolulu Police Department homicide investigations.

Police, however, believe it will be difficult, if not impossible, to find what they're looking for because of the muddy bottom and murky conditions.

Aki, who has admitted to killing the girl, gave police two conflicting statements between Friday and Sunday nights.

His first statement implicated two other suspects, who were released without charges. "The physical evidence aligns better with the second statement," Kato said.

Aki told police he punched the girl because she had slapped him and continued to beat her with a pipe he found in the parking lot of an 'Aiea park, sources said.

The sources also confirmed that Aki admitted to poking the girl with the pipe.

Police processed Aki's car for evidence last weekend but Kato declined comment when asked if the metal pipe weapon could be a tire iron.

Despite Aki's confession, the investigation is continuing because of some apparent inaccuracies in Aki's second statement, such as what happened to the six to nine gold bracelets the girl was wearing.

Aki told police he tossed the bracelets, reportedly valued between $2,000 to $3,000, in a trash can.

But he also admitted to using crystal methamphetamine the day before killing the girl.

A person using drugs dumping jewelry does not add up, police said.

Although the girl's bracelets are missing, some other jewelry items, such as her earrings, were not.

Kato would not rule out the possibility there are other suspects, who have not been previously arrested in this case.

"There's always the possibility of other suspects," he said.

"We've had tips on it. But right now, we're trying to confirm or deny what he has told us."

Kahealani's body was found Friday off the 'Aiea Loop Trail, three days after she disappeared.

Aki, who is being held on $5 million bail, is scheduled to be arraigned on the charge Monday in Circuit Court.

Deputy Public Defender Todd Eddins, who represents Aki, said his client will plead not guilty.

Eddins met with Aki yesterday and described his client as "stable."

Eddins would not comment on the case, particularly allegations that Aki was a drug user.

But the police source said while being questioned by police, Aki admitted using crystal meth, also known as "ice," and may have been under the influence when he allegedly killed Kahealani.

If Aki was under the influence of drugs it came as no surprise to Leiawapuhi Hunter, who grew up near Kahealani and her accused killer.

Hunter, 18, said she lived in the Pu'uwai Momi public housing apartment building next to the one where Aki and his mother had lived for several years, and upstairs from the apartment where Kahealani and her half sister Tanya Mamala-Tumbaga lived.

Aki had moved in with Mamala-Tumbaga, his girlfriend, and the couple later moved away from the project, Hunter said.

About three months ago, Hunter said, Aki had shown up one day so gaunt and emaciated that Hunter was convinced he was on crystal methamphetamine.

"His weight loss caught my eye, and he looked like he hadn't slept in weeks," she said. "I said, 'That's not Chris.' "

When a continuing stream of people came around asking for Aki, Hunter also became convinced that he was dealing as well as using drugs, although she never actually saw him use or deal "ice."

Hunter also said yesterday she believes that Aki, even under the influence of drugs, would have been physically and psychologically incapable of killing Kahealani by himself.

"Chris would not have had enough guts, not him alone," she said. "He couldn't have done this on his own."

Maj. Darryl Perry, head of HPD's Criminal Investigation Division, yesterday repeated earlier statements that there is no evidence to indicate that another person was involved in the girl's death.

"We're basing our investigation on the physical evidence and also on the statements of Mr. Aki, which corroborates the physical evidence. So right now we're not looking at any other viable suspects," Perry said.

Two men were arrested in connection with the case, but they were released without charges.

Perry said rumors that the two played a role in the girl's death concern him.

"When statements of this nature are made it places the individuals that were arrested in jeopardy because people might get the wrong idea that they may have been involved after all," he said.

Hunter may have been one of the last people to see Kahealani alive.

She said when she saw them together in Aki's car on the day the 11-year-old girl disappeared, Hunter felt something was wrong.

Hunter said she recalled suppressing a strong impulse to go to Aki's car and get Kahealani away from Aki.

Instead, she and her uncle Lui Tu'ua and an aunt drove on to Pearl City to help another relative pack to move house. Aki allegedly drove on as well and later bludgeoned her with a metal pipe, police said.