(Update) Police Charge Hilo Murder Suspect

Correction: This media release has been updated. The original release stated the arrestee’s name as Keone Peter Tosie Brown, the correct spelling is Keoni Peter Tosie Brown.

Hawai‘i Island police detectives have charged 30-year-old Keoni Peter Tosie Brown, of Hilo, following the violent stabbing of an elderly woman in Hilo on the 200-block of Olu Street, Saturday morning, March 29, 2025.

On Sunday, March 30, at 10:30 a.m., after conferring with the Hawai‘i County Prosecutors Office, Area I Criminal Investigation Section detectives charged Brown with the following offenses:

• Second-degree murder
• First-degree terroristic threatening

His bail was set at $2,020,000. Brown remains in police custody pending his initial court appearance scheduled for Monday, March 31, in South Hilo District Court.  

The charges against Brown stem form an incident reported on Saturday, March 29, at 7:22 a.m., when Hilo patrol officers responded to a report of an unresponsive elderly woman who had been stabbed in her face in front of her Olu Street residence.

Responding officers immediately located the 81-year-old woman lying in her driveway, with multiple stab wounds to her facial area. The responsible, later identified as Brown, was located on his property adjoining the victim’s property; he was observed hiding along the property fence-line attempting to flee the area. He was subsequently arrested without incident and was transported to the East Hawai’i Detention Facility, pending investigation.

Hawai‘i Fire Department personnel responded to the scene and determined the victim was beyond live-saving measures.

A witness at the scene reported to police that after observing Brown stab the victim multiple times, he turned his attention towards her and threatened her with the knife before retreating to his property.

Area I Criminal Investigation Division personnel responded to the scene to continue the investigation.

Police remained on scene at the suspect’s residence, pending the issuance of a search warrant to search the property for evidence.

The victim was transported to the Hilo Medical Center and officially pronounced dead at 9:57 a.m. Her identity is being withheld at this time pending positive identification and official notification to next of kin.

An autopsy will be performed early this week to determine the exact cause of death.

Police ask anyone who may have witnessed this incident to contact Detective Duane Rapoza Jr., of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section, at (808) 961-2383, or via email at Duane.Rapoza@hawaiicounty.gov.