DNA test clears man
of Big Island rape

John Paio Jr. had been held in
Hilo for more than a month

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Star-Bulletin staff

HILO >> A Big Island rape charge against an Oahu man has been dropped by the Hawaii County Prosecutor's office since a DNA test excluded him from the crime, Deputy Prosecutor Michael Udovic said.

A man forced his way into a Hilo woman's apartment on Nov. 11, 2000, pretending to be a policeman, pointed a gun at her, robbed her and raped her, according to court documents.

John Pali Paio Jr., 57, of Pearl City was charged with sexual assault, impersonating a police officer and other offenses after DNA from the perpetrator appeared to match Paio's, Udovic said. Paio's DNA was on file because of a prior sex offense.

Technically, the first DNA test "could not exclude" Paio, Udovic said.

But a second, more discriminating test did exclude him, Udovic said.

Paio said he was drinking with friends on Oahu the night before the offense, and on the day of the offense, he was painting a house in Wahiawa.

He had been held in Hilo for more than a month before being released last week.

"It's good to be home," he said.