Police are asking for the public’s help in locating two visiting men, ages 23 and 34, suspected of murdering a 73-year-old Hawaii Loa Ridge man whose decomposed body is believed to be the one found today in a bathtub filled with concrete.
Honolulu Police Department homicide Lt. Deena Thoemmes said the man’s decomposed body was discovered today at 2:42 p.m. inside a stand-alone tub filled with a concrete mixture with a layer of coffee on top.
Thoemmes said although the body has not yet been positively identified, they believe it is that of the owner of the house at 357 Lelekepue Place in the luxury neighborhood.
According to city tax records, the three-bedroom house was sold March 6, 2020 for $2,195,000, and the fee owner is the Gary L. Ruby Trust.
HPD patrol officers initially went to the home at 10:30 a.m. Monday to do a welfare check at the request of the man’s brother who lives on the mainland, but no one was home at the time.
Missing persons detectives returned at 4 p.m. Monday, and were met by the 23-year-old man who claimed to live there, but they could not find the 73-year-old man.
During the investigation, the younger man and a 34-year-old man left the home.
The missing man’s brother said that the 23-year-old had an intimate relationship with his brother.
The investigation by missing-persons detectives continued until this morning, and the case was turned over to the Homicide Detail at 8:30 a.m. today.
Thoemmes said the stench of the decomposing body could be smelled “when we started to chip away at the tub.”
Thoemmes said the coffee may have been to mask the odor.
She said the two men are murder suspects and are arrestable. Detectives have notified airport authorities to prevent the suspects from leaving the island.
The 23-year-old is Juan Tejedor Baron, who has a residence in Texas, and is clean shaven.
She said the 34-year-old man, Scott Hannon, used a passport to come to Hawaii and has a Massachusetts address, but she was not sure if he is from that state. He has a beard and mustache.
They were spotted by police at 1 a.m. today in Waikiki wearing the same clothes they wore Monday. At that time, they were merely persons of interest.
Police will continue to hold the scene for the next 24 hours, Thoemmes said late this afternoon.
Police urge the public to call 911 if they spot the suspects, and warn not to approach them. They should be considered dangerous, and it is unknown at this point whether a weapon was used.
