Maui police identified 70-year-old Dennis M. Roberts of Kihei on Wednesday evening as the man whose body was found in the ocean off the Kahikinui marsh.
Roberts' girlfriend had reported him missing at 8:38 p.m. Tuesday, police said, adding that he was last seen at the Matson shipping company in Kahului when he picked up his 2012 Jeep Wrangler, which had arrived from Seattle.
Police said Roberts told people that he was going to take a drive around the island, but when he failed to return home he was reported missing.
His girlfriend reported that Roberts was "acting abnormal and appeared to be depressed in the past few days."
Around noon Wednesday, Roberts' Jeep was found abandoned near Milepost 27 off Piilani Highway in the remote Kahikinui area, police said.
A Fire Department rescue crew, called on to assist police, retrieved the man's body around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, floating about 300 yards offshore near Milepost 24, police said.
Police said the man's body appeared to have severe head injuries and was positively identified as Roberts.
An autopsy is scheduled today to determine the cause of death.
