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New Mexico woman died by drowning, coroner says


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POSTED: Thursday, October 15, 2009

The Honolulu Medical Examiner says 25-year-old New Mexico visitor Bryanna Antone, whose body was found on Waikiki Beach on Oct. 2, died of asphyxia due to saltwater drowning.

The coroner also lists injuries on her neck consistent with applied pressure, and acute alcohol intoxication as contributing factors.

The medical examiner told police Antone had a fractured larynx or voice box, and bruises on her neck and chest, but has yet to released Antone's blood-alcohol content.

An Oahu grand jury yesterday returned an indictment charging Aaron M. Susa, 31, with second-degree murder in the case.

The indictment charges Susa with causing Antone's death by injuring her and/or by intentionally or knowingly failing to get help for her even though he knew she was a victim of a crime and was suffering from serious harm.

Susa remains in custody unable to post $500,000 bail. ;

A Royal Hawaiian Hotel employee told police he saw a man on top of a woman on the beach fronting the Waikiki hotel three hours before Antone's nude body was pulled from the ocean. The employee said the man was shoving or choking the woman with both hands near her throat for 10 minutes.

He said the woman didn't make a sound but was kicking her legs.

Two other hotel employees told police they saw a man on top of another person on the beach about the same time and that the person on the bottom was kicking.

Susa told police he was with Antone on the beach near the hotel. But he said they left, going in opposite directions, after having sex in the ocean and arguing.

Police said they found DNA that matches Susa's on Antone's body.

Antone's younger brother said he and his sister met Susa the night before on Kalakaua Avenue. He said they later bought some alcohol and went to party with a fourth person in a room at the Ohana Waikiki West hotel on Kuhio Avenue.

The brother said he and the fourth person left the hotel to get some food and when they returned, his sister and Susa were gone. He later filed a missing person report with police.