MILILANI MAUKA — The bodies of a man, his wife and young son were discovered today in their Mililani Mauka home in what police are investigating as an apparent murder-suicide, the third this year on O'ahu and the fifth homicide connected to domestic violence.

Based on evidence recovered in the two-story corner home at 95-1042 Mo'ohele St., police suspect the man killed his wife and son before hanging himself.

The family was identified by neighbors, public records and a public database search as Michael James, 43, wife Grineline, 39, and son Michael, 7.

He was an insurance broker who worked out of their home and she was an English-as-a-second-language teacher at Farrington High School.

Police were dispatched to the James residence at about noon after receiving a 911 call from someone who found a note, said police department spokesman, Maj. Frank Fujii said. Fujii declined to say who made the call but it reportedly came from a female postal service delivery person who found it in the mailbox.

The bodies were found on the second floor of the home, Fujii said.

Evidence indicates Grineline James was killed over the weekend and the child a few days later.

An autopsy will determine cause and manner of death.

Fujii said there was more than one note found in the home, but did not describe them as suicide notes.

Neighbor Gino Bolibol described the couple as a typical, friendly family. Bolibol said he would wave to them when he was out walking and they were in their yard or washing their car, though he did not know them by name.

"It's sad when you hear this kind of story," he said.

Another neighbor, who didn't want her name used, also described the family as friendly and typical. She confirmed the father was an insurance salesman and said she never heard any fighting out of them.

She said the family moved into the neighborhood when it was new, about a year and a half ago.

"I was pretty surprised," said another neighbor, Bryce Damaso, 15, who was on his way home from Mililani High School when he passed near the house.

"This is not the kind of neighborhood where you have this kind of thing happen," Damaso said. He said that almost everyone in the neighborhood was friendly and helpful.

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Advertiser staff writer Will Hoover contributed to this story.