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The Honolulu Advertiser

Updated at 7:26 p.m., Thursday, May 3, 2007

Man charged with manslaughter in visitor's death

Advertiser Staff

Prosecutors today charged a 21-year-old Nanakuli man with manslaughter in connection with the death last month of a visitor from North Carolina.

Less Allen Schnabel Jr. is accused of knocking out Christopher Reuther of Chapel Hill, N.C., with a punch to the head at Zablan Beach Park in Nanakuli on April 22.

A police report filed at District Court said the punch was delivered "without provocation."

In addition to manslaughter, Schnabel is charged with unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle. He has an initial appearance at District Court tomorrow and a preliminary hearing tentatively scheduled for Tuesday. Bail is $100,000.

Police also arrested Schnabel on two outstanding warrants totalling $350.

Reuther died April 24 at Hawaii Medical Center-East at 11:10 a.m. An autopsy determined the cause of death to be traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage due to blunt force trauma (to an area near the left ear).

Reuther arrived in Hawai'i April 22, rented a car and went to a lu'au on the Leeward Coast, the police report said. After the lu'au, he went looking for a place to camp and stopped at Zablan Beach Park, 89-090 Laumania Ave.

Details of what took place at the beach park is not in the court document but police investigated reports that Reuther snapped a photo of the suspect without permission that prompted the punch.