HONOLULU (Court TV) — A Hawaii man is facing a second-degree murder charge after police discovered his wife’s body inside their Hālawa home, where investigators found a bloody tomahawk and a fire extinguisher near the victim.
Frank Bright, 38, is charged with the death of his 43-year-old wife, Amy Takaki-Bright. His bail was set at $1 million. Honolulu Police Department Lt. Deena Thoemmes said in a news conference that the investigation was classified as a murder after an autopsy and expedited DNA testing linked Bright to the crime scene. An autopsy determined the victim’s cause of death was “multiple chop wounds to head and neck,” and the manner of death was classified as a homicide.
Lt. Deena Thoemmes delivers a press conference in Honolulu. (Court TV)
The investigation began on September 4, when the property owner of the home where the couple lived requested a welfare check. Thoemmes said the owner reported the front door to the unit was open and items were scattered inside.
Upon arrival, officers located Amy unresponsive inside.
“She had appeared to have sustained multiple traumatic injuries to her face, neck, and the back of her head,” Thoemmes said. “These injuries were consistent with both blunt force and the use of a bladed weapon.”
She was pronounced dead at the scene. Crime scene investigators recovered a black tomahawk blade and a white fire extinguisher near her body.
Detectives learned that Frank had been arrested the night before on unrelated charges. At the time of that arrest, officers noted what appeared to be blood on his jeans and on a black glove he was wearing, which were collected as evidence.
Following an autopsy, the Honolulu Police Department’s DNA laboratory expedited testing on Frank’s clothing and the weapons found at the scene.
“The DNA criminalists provided results showing that the blood in the Tomahawk matched both the victim and the suspect, and the blood on Bright’s jeans and gloves matched that of the victim,” Thoemmes said.
Thoemmes said investigators are still working to determine a potential motive in the case.
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