Puna Woman Charged With Attempted Murder in Domestic-Related Incident

Hawai‘i Island police have arrested and charged a Pāhoa woman for assault and attempted second-degree murder following a domestic-related incident on Wednesday evening, Sept 30, 2026, in Pāhoa.

At 7:44 p.m., Puna patrol police officers responded to a single-family residence in the 16-2000 block of Lauhala Drive in the Ainaloa subdivision for an active domestic-related complaint. Upon arrival, officers contacted 54-year-old Jill Dunston and located a 56-year-old man who had sustained injuries consistent with being struck by a sharp object. He was treated at the scene by emergency medical personnel and subsequently sought further medical treatment at Hilo Benioff Medical Center due to the severity of his injuries.

The victim and witnesses identified Dunston as the individual who possessed a knife and was responsible for inflicting the injuries. 

Based on the preliminary investigation, officers arrested Dunston for second-degree assault and abuse of a family or household member without incident. She was subsequently transported to the East Hawaiʻi Detention Center pending further investigation. 

Detectives with the Juvenile Aid Section were assigned to continue the investigation. Detectives obtained search warrants and conducted additional witness interviews with the investigation resulting in additional charges being sought. 

Following consultation with the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney on Friday, Oct. 2, Dunston was charged with the following offenses: 

• Second-degree assault 
• Abuse of a family or household member in the presence of a minor 
• Attempted second-degree murder 

Dunston’s total bail was set at $1,040,000 and she remains in police custody at the East Hawaiʻi Detention Center. She is scheduled to make her initial court appearance in Hilo District Court on Monday, Oct. 5. 

Police ask anyone with additional information regarding this investigation to please contact Detective Kupono Mata at (808) 961-2278 or by email at Kupono.mata@hawaiipolice.gov.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers does not record calls or subscribe to Caller ID. All information provided to Crime Stoppers is kept confidential.