Michael Rosenbaum was 76 and a Native Hawaiian who disappeared from the Pāhoa area after being last seen on July 22, 2021, in Pāhoa town. He regularly walked to nearby businesses or took the bus, a routine that made his absence noticeable; he was reported missing on July 24.

On July 31 a local fisherman found Rosenbaum’s body on the rocks below the sea cliffs at MacKenzie State Recreation Area in lower Puna. Responders recovered him from a rugged, hard-to-reach shoreline. An autopsy determined the cause of death was a gunshot wound, and investigators classified the death as second-degree murder. The remote cliffside location suggested deliberate concealment to some observers.

Police kept the case open and repeatedly appealed for the public’s help, asking anyone who saw Rosenbaum on July 22 or who noticed unusual activity in the days after to come forward. No arrests, named suspects, or public charges have been reported. If anyone saw Michael in Pāhoa that week or has information about movements near MacKenzie State Recreation Area, please share what is known.