2 Hilo men believed
found shot to death

Both men were last seen being
picked up by a red sedan
after their car got stuck

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By Rod Thompson
rthompson@starbulletin.com

HILO >> Decomposing bodies found Thursday in a rural subdivision south of Hilo are believed to be those of two men reported missing in early May, police said.

Both men died of gunshot wounds in the head.

Police said they believe the bodies are those of Cassidy Toole and Wesley Alan Matheson, both 20, who were roommates in Fern Acres, a sparsely populated subdivision 14 miles south of Hilo.

The men were last seen alive about 7 a.m. on May 8 being picked up by a red sedan in the Kau district, 56 miles south of Fern Acres, after their car became stuck in a ditch along Mamalahoa Highway.

The driver of the red car gave them a ride several miles to Pahala, in the direction of their home, but what happened to them after that was unknown, said Capt. James Day.

The bodies were found in Fern Acres in an empty lot "relatively near" the men's home, Day said.

Police officers, continuing the missing-persons investigation, found them, he said. The cases are now classified as murder.

Regarding possible suspects, Day said only that the matter is under investigation.

Because of decomposition, the bodies were not identified, a police statement said.

Day said the circumstance of two men being missing and two being found near their home led to the tentative identification.

Positive identifications will be made with dental records from the men's home states. Toole was from Texas and Matheson from Arkansas.

Day was not sure how long the men had been in Hawaii. Neither man had a job, but what they had been doing before their May 8 disappearance is still under investigation, he said.

Day said he could not comment on whether drug activity played a role in their death.

Because of decomposition, it was not clear if either man was shot more than once, Day said. The caliber of the weapon used is not known, he said. No weapon was found at the scene.

On May 16, police located and questioned John McGovern, 18, of Hawaiian Acres adjoining Fern Acres, described as a witness in their disappearance, after seeking the public's help in finding him.

McGovern was described as cooperative and was released following the questioning.