Maui authorities ID 2 who were found dead
By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui County Bureau
WAILUKU, Maui — Maui Circuit Court records indicate that the 31-year-old man whose body was found by hikers on a stretch of rocky coastline Saturday was on probation for beating up his girlfriend, a 20-year-old woman whose body was found nearby six days earlier.
Charles Barut had an extensive criminal record, but authorities yesterday said autopsies indicate no sign of foul play in the deaths of him or Ashley Higa, who lived with him in Kahului. Police continue to classify the case as a miscellaneous accident.
The two were found within a quarter-mile of each other on the boulder-strewn shore below 60- to 80-foot cliffs near Holokai Road and Manawai Place in Ha'iku.
"Hopefully, we'll come up with a good theory as to what happened," said Lt. Glenn Cuomo of the Maui Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division.
The two were last seen three weeks ago, police said, and an abandoned car was in the area where their bodies were found.
Both corpses were decomposed, said medical examiner Dr. Anthony Manoukian, and both had suffered similar injuries. Barut had a broken right ankle, multiple rib fractures and a bruise to the back of his head. Higa had a broken left ankle and rib fractures.
Manoukian said the injuries were consistent with a fall of 6 to 8 feet, and it's possible they could have been knocked down by a large wave.
He said that under different circumstances, the couple probably would have survived. But they were unable to move and were in a remote location. Exposure to the elements and dehydration were the final blows, he said.
"Police said someone may have heard a male voice calling out," Manoukian said.
"That's a dangerous place," he said, noting that a rope aids hikers on the cliff trail. "It's an inhospitable environment, a place for fishermen and 'opihi pickers. It's not for those who want to enjoy the beach."
Higa was identified by dental records, while Barut was identified by his tattoos.
Court records show that Barut was sentenced Dec. 10 to a year of probation and 30 days in jail, with 20 days suspended as long as he complied with the conditions of probation. Among other things, he was forbidden from using alcohol and drugs.
According to police accounts, Barut beat Higa after accusing her of visiting her ex-boyfriend. He struck her numerous times in the back of her head and face and kicked her in the back twice, police said.
Court records indicate Higa and Barut were unemployed and living in a cottage on the property where Barut grew up.
Barut's police record dates to 1993 and includes convictions for drug promotion, theft, auto theft, parole violations, temporary restraining order violations, forgery, reckless endangering and firearms violations.
Reach Timothy Hurley at thurley@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 244-4880.
