Deputy prosecutor
is apparent suicide

Hawaii County's Cate dies
of head wound in his Hilo office

By Rod Thompson
Star-Bulletin

HILO -- Deputy Hawaii County Prosecutor Ian Cate, 31, apparently committed suicide by shooting himself in the head at the prosecutor's office yesterday, police said.

Cate was found behind a bathroom door at the office about noon, with a single gunshot wound in his head, police said. A handgun was found next to his body.

Police said they do not suspect foul play and the case was classified as a coroner's inquest. An autopsy will be done, they said.

Cate had not handled high-profile cases previously, but last month was named to handle the repeat prosecution of Christopher Wilmer Jr. in the 1997 stabbing death of retired businessman Gordon Granger.

Until then, Cate had been serving in the Wilmer case as the assistant to Deputy Prosecutor Kay Iopa.

Judge Riki May Amano declared a mistrial when several allegations of wrongdoing, including withholding of information from the defense, were brought by defense attorney Brian De Lima.

Amano determined that Iopa, whose resignation was announced later, had committed misconduct, but the judge told Cate during those proceedings that she had no problem with his conduct.

First Deputy Prosecutor Charlene Iboshi said the Wilmer case was stressful for the prosecutor's office.

Cate was a graduate of the University of Hawaii at Hilo and obtained his law degree in San Diego, Prosecutor Jay Kimura said. Cate joined the prosecutor's office in 1992.

His mother and stepfather live in Hilo, Kimura said.

"He was a good person. We're kind of at a loss as to why (he committed suicide)," Kimura said.

The prosecutor's office is waiting for further police investigation, Iboshi said.

"When I last saw him, he was upbeat," she said.

"It's like surreal. We deal with death every day in terms of cases, but it's not someone close to us," she said.

She said the office staff will be offered counseling under the county's employee assistance program.

The office will be closed today except for emergencies, she said.