Man accused of killing 8-year-old daughter

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer

An 8-year-old Big Island girl was shot to death yesterday morning in Na'alehu, and Kona police arrested her father soon after the shooting.

Douglas John Fathke owns Becky's Bed & Breakfast in Na'alehu, where the shooting occurred.

Police identified the dead girl as Kelsie Fathke. Her father, Douglas John Fathke, 44, was arrested at 11:55 a.m. yesterday on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and terroristic threatening.

Douglas John Fathke and his sister own the B&B but his sister recently moved to Alaska, said Na'alehu resident Christina Cabanilla.

"It's shocking," Cabanilla said of the shooting, which stunned the small, close-knit community. "He's a nice guy and it's hard to believe he would hurt the girl. She was his only child and it seemed he treated her good the times we saw him with her."

Cabanilla said Douglas Fathke is divorced from his wife, who lives in Tacoma, Wash., and his daughter came to live with him about nine months ago. The girl was a second-grader at Na'alehu Elementary & Intermediate School.

Cabanilla, who works at B&E Union 76 across the street from Becky's, said a co-worker mentioned to her that Douglas Fathke had come to the convenience store before the shooting and appeared troubled. "She said he wasn't himself," Cabanilla said.

Police responded to an 11:46 a.m. report of gunshots at Becky's and found the girl in a bedroom, police said.

Kona police Capt. Julian Shiroma said today that the girl was shot in the head with a .30-caliber rifle that was found at the scene. Fire rescue personnel tried to revive the girl, who was pronounced dead at Kona Community Hospital at 9:45 p.m.

Peter Volpe, principal of Na'alehu Elementary & Intermediate, said special counseling was in place for students and faculty today.

"In a small community, everyone is affected by something like this," Volpe said. "We all feel it."

Fathke is being held at the Kona Police Station cellblock.