By Ken Ige, Star-Bulletin
Police examine the scene where a body was found this morning
on the lawn of First Circuit Court, at the corner of
Halekauwila Street and Punchbowl.

Court janitor
found dead

Called 'Big Ed' by his
co-workers, the victim had
puncture wounds

Star-Bulletin staff

Police were investigating the second apparent homicide on Oahu in the past three days after a man's body was found on the lawn of First Circuit Court this morning.

Co-workers identified him as Edwin Iwata, who worked as a janitor at the Circuit Court building on Punchbowl.

The body was found face down at about 5 a.m. near the sidewalk and lawn area along Halekauwila Street near Punchbowl.

Police Lt. Allen Napoleon, head of the homicide detail, said the man had puncture wounds.

Co-workers this morning were somber as word spread about the "gentle giant" they called "Big Ed."

Co-workers were close to him because he had no family, said janitor Margaret Yasukawa, who worked on the floor above him.

Iwata would catch the bus early from his Kalihi home, arriving nearly an hour before he started at 6 a.m. cleaning courtrooms on the makai side of the third floor, she said.

Co-workers described Iwata as quiet, unassuming, a hard worker who kept to himself.

"He does his job, he goes home, that's all," Yasukawa said. "When he see us need help up here, he always offer to help."

Dennis Pilialoha, a grounds-keeper at Circuit Court, said he turned onto Halekauwila about 4:45 a.m. and saw a figure lying on the lawn area near the corner and assumed it was a homeless person sleeping.

When he heard police sirens a short time later, he knew the guy was "make," or dead.

Later, he went out on the second-floor balcony of the courthouse to take a look at the commotion and recognized the salt-and-pepper hair and shoulders of "Big Ed."

Police described Iwata as an Asian, in his 50s, 5 feet 7 inches tall and 250 pounds.

He was wearing eyeglasses, a white pullover and black pants that were pulled halfway down.

Witnesses told police two cars were seen leaving the area at 4:30 a.m.

On Monday, a 28-year-old man was arrested in connection with the slaying of his 78-year-old grandmother. Asphyxiation has been determined as the cause of her death.