Suspect in ranger’s
death to appear
in court here

Steve Makuakane-Jarrell
was found shot to death
Sunday on the Big Island

By Rod Thompson
Star-Bulletin

KAILUA-KONA -- The suspect in the killing of a national park ranger on the Big Island was scheduled to make an appearance in federal court in Honolulu today.

The suspect was arrested at 5:40 p.m. yesterday at Puuanahulu, North Kona, after a brief chase, the FBI said. He was wanted for the shooting death of Steve Makuakane-Jarrell, 47, a 15-year veteran with the National Park Service in Georgia and Hawaii.

The arrest was made after police blocked off the Mamalahoa Highway between Kailua-Kona and Waimea yesterday afternoon.

The police department confirmed that they diverted traffic away from the area of the small village at Puuanahulu.

Agents from the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration were involved in the capture, an FBI release said.

The agency also credited county police, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and park rangers with assisting in the investigation.

Without disclosing whether specific information led to the suspect's capture, agent John Gillies gave high praise to public cooperation.

"Clearly, the public's help was paramount in the capture," he said.

Reward money had increased to $41,000 for the capture of a suspect.

That matter will be handled later, Gillies said. "We're not focused on the reward at this point. That will all get sorted out afterward," he said.

Makuakane-Jarrell spent almost every day of his life sharing his knowledge and love of the Big Island, said ranger Mardie Lane.

Although he was in park law enforcement, he had good communications skills that made it unnecessary for him to be heavy-handed with anyone doing wrong at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historic Park where he worked, Lane said.

"He was able to convince people to do the right thing," she said.

The National Park Service sent seven additional rangers to the park, said Frank Dean, a ranger from Point Reyes National Park in California. Lane is from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The rangers from the mainland include "peer counselors" trained to help others emotionally when there is a death, Dean said.

The regular rangers at the park returned to work yesterday after being given administrative leave Monday, he said.

"The staff are doing fine," he said, but added, "It's not good to hold these feelings in."

The park will remain closed until later in the week, Lane said.

Makuakane-Jarrell left a wife, Joni Mae, and three children.