Arman B. Johnson

Arman B. Johnson, a 44-year-old man known for his love of reggae music and his work as a massage therapist, had made the Big Island of Hawaii his home for more than two decades after moving from Seattle, Washington, in 1984. He held a degree in sports medicine and used his skills to work at local resorts, living on both the Kona and Hilo sides of the island. Beyond his healing work, Johnson was a familiar voice to many as the host of a reggae music show on a local radio station, sharing his passion with the community he had embraced.

The peaceful life Johnson had built came to a violent end in April 2005. On April 13, a visitor to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park made a grim discovery near the park's southern boundary. Arman Johnson's body was found approximately 100 yards off Mamalahoa Highway, near mile marker 71 in the vicinity of Kahuku Ranch. He was dressed casually in a tank top, swim shorts, socks, and slippers. An autopsy later confirmed that he had died from a single, execution-style gunshot wound to his upper back and neck, fired from a handgun.

Investigators from the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch (ISB) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were called to the scene. The evidence led them to believe that Johnson was killed at the exact spot where his body was found, ruling out the possibility that he had been murdered elsewhere and his body later dumped inside the national park. Despite a thorough investigation, the motive for the killing and the identity of the person or people responsible remained a mystery. The case grew cold, leaving his loved ones without answers and his killer at large.

Years passed, but law enforcement did not give up hope. On the tenth anniversary of the murder in 2015, authorities made a renewed public appeal for information. "A decade has passed since the murder of Arman Johnson," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Paul Delacourt at the time. "We are hoping that the passage of time may embolden a witness to come forward and tell us the truth about how and why this tragic act of violence occurred." This appeal highlighted the ongoing commitment of both local and federal agencies to solving the crime.

The investigation into Arman Johnson's homicide remains active and open. As of September 2026, his case is still listed as an unsolved cold case by the National Park Service and other crime-focused publications. The fundamental questions of who killed him and why have never been answered, leaving a painful void for those who knew him.

To encourage anyone with information to come forward, the FBI and the National Park Service continue to offer a reward of up to $10,000 for tips that lead to the identification and conviction of the person responsible for Arman Johnson's death. Authorities urge anyone who might know something, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to contact the Honolulu FBI office at 808-566-4300 or the National Park Service ISB tip line at 888-653-0009.