Full Notification

Hawai’i Police Department
Criminal Investigation Section – Area I
Lieutenant Rio S. Amon-Wilkins
Phone: (808) 961-2252                                                               
Report No.: 22-056345
 
Media Release
 
Hawai‘i Island police have charged 33-year-old Cameron Stewart with murder following the discovery of a deceased elderly man in Puna on Wednesday morning, June 29, 2022.
 
At 10:00 a.m. Friday morning, July 1, 2022, after conferral with the County Prosecutor’s Office, detectives charged Stewart with second-degree murder. His bail has been set at $1 million. Stewart remains in police custody pending his initial court appearance scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, July 5, in Hilo District Court.
 
The victim has been identified as 86-year-old Charles Hacker of Pahoa.
 
The charge against Stewart stems from an incident reported shortly before 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, June 29, in the Hawaiian Shores subdivision. Puna Patrol officers responded to a residence on Kawakawa Street for a report of an elderly man seated in a wheelchair, bleeding from his neck. Responding officers located the victim seated in a walker-seat in his driveway. He was found unconscious and bleeding profusely from a laceration-type injury to his neck.
 
Responding police and rescue personnel immediately attempted life-saving measures. The victim was transported to the Hilo Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead.
 
Area I Criminal Investigation Section personnel responded to the scene to assist in continuing this investigation.
 
While at the scene investigating, police received information identifying a suspect in this investigation. Shortly thereafter, police took Stewart, a neighbor of the victim, into custody on suspicion of second-degree murder.
 
An autopsy was performed Friday morning, July 1, 2022, and the forensic pathologist ruled Hacker’s death a homicide.
 
During the course of this investigation detectives served a search warrant on Stewart’s residence, and recovered a recurve bow, various arrows, and other archery-related items.
 
Stewart and his family moved to the island from Arizona in the middle part of last month.
 
Police are asking for anyone with information on this incident or who may have been in the area of Kawakawa Street on Wednesday morning between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m., to contact Detective Blaine Morishita of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section, at (808) 961-2385 or email him at [email protected].
 
Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the island-wide Crime Stoppers number at 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.00. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers does not record calls or subscribe to any Caller ID service. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.