KE‘E — Police reopened Kuhio Highway at Limahuli Thursday evening, allowing vehicular access to Ke‘e Beach for the first time since Sunday evening. Access to the Kalalau Trail from the Ke‘e Beach trailhead remains closed until further notice as the search
KE‘E — Police reopened Kuhio Highway at Limahuli Thursday evening, allowing vehicular access to Ke‘e Beach for the first time since Sunday evening.
Access to the Kalalau Trail from the Ke‘e Beach trailhead remains closed until further notice as the search continues for Justin Wynn Klein. He is wanted by police for reportedly throwing a hiker from a cliff near Kalalau Beach Sunday afternoon.
The victim, a 31-year-old woman from Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, sustained multiple injuries from a roughly 15-foot drop. She has been upgraded from critical to stable condition at Wilcox Memorial Hospital, according to a county news release.
The woman was camping in Kalalau. A companion reportedly witnessed the incident.
A spokesperson with the Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu said Thursday that the victim’s mother is now on Kaua‘i. She was able to speak very briefly with her daughter, who has no recollection of what happened, the spokesperson said.
Access to Kalalau via the Ke‘e Beach trailhead remained closed as the crime scene investigation and search for the suspect continues. The road to Ke‘e Beach was re-opened at 6 p.m. Thursday.
DLNR spokesperson Deborah Ward on Wednesday said the Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park and Ha‘ena State Park remain closed as DOCARE enforcement officers assist in controlling the crime scene and in the search for the suspect.
“We are cooperating with Kaua‘i Police Department in a law enforcement activity, and cannot give any further details,” Ward said. “There is no information as to when the parks might reopen.”
Anyone who is holding a camping permit for the days that the park is closed should contact the Hawai‘i State Park office to request a refund or reschedule their permit, Ward said. Call the office at 274-3444 or email dlnr@hawaii.gov.
“The office will issue refunds or offer assistance in rescheduling a later date,” Ward added. “They cannot answer any other questions.”
Klein is described as a Caucasian male, 6 feet 1 inch tall, with brown hair in a Mohawk haircut. He may have a mustache and a beard, and has a tribal band tattoo on his left arm. Klein was last known to live in Kilauea. He is considered dangerous and should not be approached.
Anyone with information on Klein’s whereabouts is asked to call the Kaua‘i Police Department at 241-1711.
The contact information has been edited from the original article.
