×

Murder charge filed after search crews find ‘human remains’

Body still to be ID’d; court appearance is expected next week

Justin Namauu

Police charged a Kula man with murder and kidnapping Friday following the discovery of a body believed to be the victim of an alleged shooting Monday in the Kahikinui area.

Justin Namauu, 42, is charged with second-degree murder, kidnapping and six counts of firearm offenses. His bail was set at $2 million, and he is expected to appear in court next week.

Police found “unidentified human remains” around 2 p.m. in the Kahikinui area, Maui police spokesman Lt. Gregg Okamoto said. The remains were recovered but have not been positively identified. He added that the investigation remained ongoing.

The body is believed to be Dennis Pacheco, 45, of Kanaio, who went missing Monday, said Jennifer Regan, president of Maui Search and Rescue. She did not know specifically where the body was found, but it was in an area beyond Piilani Highway’s Mile Marker 25.

Regan told The Maui News in a phone call Friday that police informed about 15 family members and search volunteers about finding the body possibly belonging to Pacheco. She said family members responded by hugging, yelling and honking their car horns in celebration.

Pacheco

“They’re so happy that they have closure because this doesn’t happen often,” Regan said. “I don’t think it happens often enough where families have that closure. They’re so grateful to everyone’s effort and time that was put in. They’re not mourning; they’re happy. They’re very, very happy.

“This is probably the best type of outcome.”

The shooting allegedly occurred Monday morning when Pacheco was with a woman at her house in Kanaio, family members said. They said the woman was dating Pacheco, but also went out with Namauu.

The woman told family members that Namauu confronted Pacheco and fired at him once with a pistol. The woman reported that Pacheco tried to fight him, but Namauu fired a second shot to the head, killing him instantly.

The woman told the family that she and Namauu put Pacheco in his own car and drove it to Namauu’s house. She reported that Namauu tied her up and left her at the home while he used an all-terrain vehicle to hide the body early Tuesday morning.

Namauu returned several hours later and released the woman, family members said.

Dozens of police officers, with the assistance of drones and cadaver dogs, had been searching for Pacheco since Tuesday in the Kahikinui shoreline and beach area.

Police moved the search area Thursday to the mauka side of Piilani Highway, while Maui Search and Rescue members looked for the body below the highway.

Family members said Thursday that police told them Namauu was not cooperating or revealing where he allegedly hid Pacheco’s body. Regan said Friday that she had not heard if anything had changed.

The only suggestion a detective gave searchers was to cover any area that would be two hours away from Namauu’s house in either direction, Regan said. She said the tip came from the woman’s statement to police that she was tied up for about four hours before Namauu released her.

Family members returned to the parking lot overlooking the Auwahi Wind turbines around 9 a.m. where they prayed together and waited for the volunteer nonprofit before going out, Regan said. The search team arrived about two hours later and briefed the group on procedures and what places needed to be eliminated.

The group including two cadaver dogs covered at least 10 miles from Mile Marker 24 to 25, Regan said. She said her dog, “Cocoa,” traversed a five-mile hike up the mountain, while the other dog, “Nahiku,” surveyed Mile Marker 25 down to the ocean.

It was difficult to walk in the area’s rugged terrain, and many of the all-terrain vehicle trails were unmarked and not used very often, Regan said. The search of the mountainside above the highway was filled with brush and uneven surfaces on top of lava rock.

“You’re pretty much climbing straight up,” she said. “But the area by the ocean, there’s a lot of cliff edges. It’s definitely a lot of work.”

By late Friday afternoon, many family members were still waiting in the area to see the coroner’s vehicle pick up the body, Regan said. She believed it could take police “longer than normal” to examine the area due to the terrain, but family members did not want to leave.

“They want to see him off and give their love,” she said.

Regan thanked police for working with her nonprofit and family members in search efforts. She praised the department for its perseverance in searching for Pacheco despite the rigorous conditions.

“It was absolutely amazing. They were so grateful and helpful,” she said. “They did countless other searches themselves, and there wasn’t a day they weren’t out here with their ATVs. They were absolutely amazing to put in this much effort.”

* Chris Sugidono can be reached at csugidono@mauinews.com. Staff Writer Lila Fujimoto contributed to this report.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper?
     
Support Local Journalism on Maui

Only $99/year

Subscribe Today