A Hawaii man has been charged with second-degree murder after his wife was found dead in their home with a tomahawk and fire extinguisher nearby. Frank Bright, 38, is accused of killing his 43-year-old wife, Aimee Takaki-Bright, in their Halawa residence on September 4, 2025.
The case began when the couple’s landlord called police for a welfare check after finding the front door open and items scattered inside the home. When officers arrived, they discovered Takaki-Bright unresponsive in the hallway with multiple injuries to her face, neck, and back of her head. Police found a black tomahawk blade and white fire extinguisher near her body.
According to Honolulu Police Department Lt. Deena Thoemmes, investigators found crucial evidence linking Bright to the crime. “At the time of that arrest, officers observed what appeared to be blood on his jeans and on a black glove that he was wearing,” Thoemmes said during a press conference. The items were collected as evidence, and DNA testing later confirmed the blood matched the victim.
Marriage troubles preceded the deadly attack
The couple had been married for less than five months when tragedy struck. Court records show they wed on March 25, 2025, but Takaki-Bright filed for divorce on August 5. In her petition, she wrote that “the parties have grown apart and no longer share common goals or mutual support.”
The relationship troubles extended beyond their marriage. Just two weeks after their wedding, Bright’s own mother filed a temporary restraining order against him. She claimed he threatened her and her husband, pointed a gun at them, and hit her over the head with it. In the restraining order request, she noted that Bright suffered from depression and had access to firearms.
Frank Bright appeared in court today on a second-degree murder charge in connection with the death of his wife. Aimee Takaki-Bright was found dead in their home with “multiple chop wounds” to her head and neck. https://t.co/VL7m2fMrDS
— Hawaii News Now (@HawaiiNewsNow) September 10, 2025
An autopsy determined that Takaki-Bright died from “multiple chop wounds to head and neck,” and her death was classified as a homicide. The medical examiner’s findings were consistent with both blunt force trauma and injuries from a bladed weapon. Bright had been arrested the night before his wife’s body was discovered on unrelated charges including criminal trespassing and terroristic threatening.
DNA evidence proved crucial in the case. Testing showed that blood on the tomahawk matched both the victim and suspect, while blood on Bright’s clothing matched his wife. The 38-year-old suspect was unemployed at the time of the incident, while his wife worked at Myron B. Thompson Academy. The case highlights ongoing concerns about domestic violence and its tragic consequences, as investigators continue working to determine a motive. Bright faces life in prison with the possibility of parole if convicted, and he is currently being held without bail at the Oahu Community Correctional Center. Similar cases involving deadly weapons in domestic disputes continue to shock communities across the country.
