Posted on: Sunday, October 31, 2004

Arson listed as murder-suicide

Advertiser Staff

A man and woman who died in house fire that was deliberately set last week were ruled to be a murder/suicide, according to autopsy results.

The Honolulu medical examiner's office has determined that Brenda Mathias, 56, died of a blunt head trauma and her boyfriend, Lino Vaivao, 55, died of fire-related injuries.

The house at 91-1340 Ho'opi'o St. was owned by Mathias, a 14-year employee of Kokua Kalihi Valley. Vaivao had recently left the Army. Arson investigators found burning patterns in all bedrooms of the 'Ewa home.