Posted at 10:16 p.m., Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Suspect arrested in killing of N.C. man
By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer
The man, 21, was arrested at his home at 10 a.m. and booked for second-degree murder.
The Honolulu medical examiner's office today identified the victim as Christopher Reuther, 34, of Chapel Hill, N.C. Reuther died at Hawaii Medical Center-East on April 24, two days after he was punched in near the left ear at an undisclosed Wai'anae Coast beach park shortly before midnight.
An autopsy listed cause of death as traumatic subarachnoid hemmorrhage or blunt force trauma to the head and manner as homicide.
Police said Reuther arrived in Hawai'i on April 22, rented a car, attended a luau show and decided to camp a beach park. While at the park with other campers, Reuther was allegedly punched without provaction, police said.
He was taken unconscious to Hawaii Medical Center-West and later transferred to HMC-East.
The Nanakuli man was identified through investigation.
Reuther is the third visitor killed on O'ahu this year. In February, Ted Jandura of Canada allegedly stabbed his wife to death while Kirk Lankford was charged last weekend with the murder of Masumi Watanabe, 21, of Japan although her body has not been found.
