A body was found on the side of a road on the Big Island on Sunday morning. Hawaii Island Police initiated a homicide investigation after the body was discovered in a vehicle on the side of the roadway in Kalapana, which is in the Puna District. Puna Patrol officers responded to the area around 6:30 a.m. Detectives from the Area I Criminal Investigation Section responded to the scene and classified the investigation as a second-degree murder. The victim who has been identified as 49-year-old Lance Toshio Shitabata of Hilo was transported to the Hilo Medical Center and was pronounced dead at 11:15 a.m. on Sunday. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday to determine the exact cause of death.