(Update) Police Charge Puna Murder Suspect

Hawai‘i Island police detectives have charged 42-year-old Patricia Ann McConnell, of Pāhoa, with murder following a reported domestic dispute in Nānāwale, late Thursday night, April 24, 2025.

On Friday evening, April 25, upon conferring with the Hawai‘i County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, McConnell was charged with the following offenses:

• Second-degree murder
• Third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug

McConnell’s bail was set at $1,505,000. She remains in police custody pending her initial court appearance scheduled for Monday, April 28, in Hilo District Court.

The victim has been identified as 45-year-old Patrick Gideon John-Bruce Dalrymple-Collins, of Pāhoa.

The charges against McConnell stem from an incident reported late Thursday night. At approximately 11:25 p.m., Puna patrol officers responded to a residence on Lehua Road in the Nānāwale Estates subdivision, after a female called Police Dispatch and reported that a male at the residence was not breathing. The woman reported that she and the 45-year-old man had been involved in a domestic, he had tried to kill her, and that she strangled him and he was now dead.    

Responding officers located the male seated within the driver’s seat of a vehicle, slumped over. He was not breathing, no pulse was detected, and his face appeared purple. Officers immediately administered Narcan to the male, however, it was ineffective. They then attempted the use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), however due to the victim’s condition, the device was not advised. Arriving Hawai’i Fire Department personnel took over life-saving measures and transported the victim via ambulance to the Hilo Benioff Medical Center; however, he was pronounced dead at 11:57 p.m., while enroute to the hospital.   

The female caller, later identified as McConnell, was arrested at the scene for second-degree murder and third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug. She was transported to the Pāhoa  Police Station for processing, and later transferred to the East Hawai‘i Detection Facility in Hilo. Upon arrest, McConnell was found in possession of a zip-packet containing a white crystalline substance in her pants pocket, which tested presumptive positive as methamphetamine. 

Area I Criminal Investigation Division personnel responded to the scene to continue this investigation.

An autopsy was performed on Friday morning and the forensic pathologist ruled the manner of death homicide due to strangulation.

Police ask anyone who may have information about this incident to contact Detective David Po’ohina of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section, at (808) 961-2385, or via email at David.Poohina@hawaiicounty.gov.

Citizens who wish to make an anonym can call Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300 and be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers does not record any calls or subscribe to caller ID.