A 31-year-old man wanted in connection with three separate killings on the Big Island of Hawaii in less than two days is in custody, ending a search that sent armed officers fanning across rural stretches of the island and put entire communities on lockdown.
Hawaii County police arrested Tanner Stamper on Saturday after a massive multi-agency operation that included the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The arrest came roughly 48 hours after the first killing was reported, and hours after police publicly identified Stamper as the suspect and warned residents he should be considered armed and dangerous.
The sequence began Thursday, June 5, when officers responded to a report of a deceased person in the Puna district on the eastern side of the Big Island. Within the next two days, two more bodies were discovered in separate locations, all within the same general region of the island. Hawaii County police connected the three deaths and identified Stamper as the suspect in all three homicides, as ABC News reported.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed the identities of the three victims, the manner of their deaths, or the suspected motive behind the killings. Investigators have not said whether Stamper knew the victims or whether the killings were random.
The speed of the alleged spree drew immediate alarm. Three homicides in 48 hours on the Big Island is virtually without precedent in recent memory for a county that, despite being geographically the largest in the state, has a relatively small population and typically records only a handful of homicides per year.
Once police identified Stamper and released his name and photograph, the manhunt escalated quickly. Officers set up checkpoints and conducted sweeps in the Puna area, a largely rural district known for dense vegetation and remote properties connected by narrow roads. The terrain posed real challenges for search teams.
Hawaii County police urged residents in affected areas to shelter in place. Schools in the Puna district were closed Friday as a precaution. The department described Stamper as armed and dangerous, telling the public not to approach him and to call 911 immediately if they spotted him.
CLN previously covered the early stages of the Hawaii manhunt as the search was still active and authorities were warning residents to stay indoors.
Federal agencies joined the effort. The FBI, U.S. Marshals, and ATF all deployed resources to assist local police. The multi-agency posture reflected the seriousness of the threat and the difficulty of tracking a suspect across the Big Island's rugged landscape.
Stamper was taken into custody Saturday without incident, police confirmed. Authorities have not released details about the specific location of the arrest or the circumstances that led officers to him. They have not said whether he was armed at the time of capture.
Hawaii County Police Chief Benjamin Moszkowicz addressed the public after the arrest, thanking the federal partners and community members who provided tips during the search. He acknowledged the fear the situation had caused across the island.
"I want to thank our community for their patience and cooperation during what was an extremely tense and dangerous situation."
Moszkowicz said the investigation remains active and that additional details would be released as the case progresses through the legal system.
Stamper faces three counts of second-degree murder, according to Hawaii County prosecutors. He made an initial court appearance and is being held without bail. Investigators have not publicly confirmed whether they expect additional charges.
Under Hawaii law, second-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole. The state does not have the death penalty. Prosecutors have not indicated whether they will seek to upgrade any of the charges. The case remains in its earliest procedural stages, and no trial date has been set.
Stamper's criminal history, if any, has not been publicly detailed by authorities. Investigators have not said whether he was known to law enforcement before the killings. No attorney for Stamper has been publicly identified or made a statement on his behalf.
The Puna district, home to roughly 50,000 residents spread across a wide swath of volcanic terrain, is not accustomed to this kind of violence. Residents described the 48-hour stretch as terrifying. Some told local media they barricaded doors and kept firearms within reach while the suspect was at large.
Schools in the area reopened Monday after the weekend arrest, but the unease lingered. Community members gathered at a local church Sunday evening for a vigil honoring the three victims, whose names had still not been released pending family notification.
The case stands in sharp contrast to recent national data showing a historic drop in the murder rate, a reminder that aggregate statistics offer cold comfort to communities confronting sudden, concentrated violence.
Authorities have not publicly confirmed the relationships, if any, between the three victims. They have not said whether the killings occurred at the locations where the bodies were found or whether the victims were moved. The weapon or weapons used have not been disclosed.
Investigators will need to establish a timeline for Stamper's movements across the 48-hour window and determine whether anyone else was involved. No accomplices have been named or suggested by police.
Forensic processing of the three crime scenes is ongoing. No public results have been released regarding physical evidence, toxicology, or cause of death for any of the victims. The medical examiner's findings will be central to the prosecution's case as it develops.
Across the country, law enforcement agencies have been grappling with how to respond to concentrated bursts of violence. The FBI's recent pivot toward prioritizing violent crime operations reflects a broader recognition that rapid federal support can be decisive in cases like this one, where local departments face threats that overwhelm their normal capacity.
Hawaii is far from the only jurisdiction forced to mobilize massive resources in response to sudden killing sprees. Mainland cities have faced their own surges. Chicago tallied at least 25 shooting victims over Memorial Day weekend alone, a grim reminder of how quickly violence can spike and strain police departments to their limits.
What made the Hawaii case unusual was the setting. The Big Island's isolation, its limited road network, and its dense tropical terrain created a scenario where a suspect could vanish into the landscape for days. That the arrest came within roughly 48 hours of the public identification speaks to the scale of resources deployed and the cooperation between local, state, and federal agencies.
For now, Stamper sits in a Hawaii County jail cell, held without bail and facing three murder charges. The victims' families are waiting for answers. The Puna community is trying to return to normal. And investigators are building a case that will need to explain not just what happened across those 48 hours, but why.
When three people die in two days in a place where most residents leave their doors unlocked, the questions do not stop with an arrest. They are just getting started.
