HILO, Hawai'i — Nearly five years after the body of a 45-year-old man was found floating in the ocean off Kailua, Kona, police have reclassified the case as a homicide.

An autopsy determined Dennis Edward Loofbourrow was strangled, but police never found any of the man's relatives until about a week ago when family members in Colorado called to ask about the death, said Big Island police Detective Bradley Freitas. After talking with the family, police realized the case had never been formally reclassified as a homicide, Freitas said.

Despite the delay in reclassifying the case, Freitas said, police have been actively investigating Loofbourrow's death.

He said the man was homeless and worked at odd jobs. Loofbourrow's body was found Oct. 28, 2000, floating about 300 yards off Kaiwi Point, and was brought to Kailua Pier by paddlers participating in a canoe regatta.

Freitas said the body had not been in the water for very long.

Police said in 2000 that preliminary autopsy results showed that Loofbourrow, also known as Allen Gates Davidson, died under "suspicious circumstances." However, police said at the time that further testing was needed to determine the cause of his death.

Loofbourrow was 6 feet tall, weighed 175 pounds, and had brown hair and a mustache. He wore glasses and sometimes rode a bicycle.

When he died, he was wearing green surf shorts with white and blue hibiscus flowers, brown leather lace-up shoes with thick black soles and dark socks.

Anyone with information about the case should call Freitas at (808) 326-4646, ext. 228. Those who wish to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300 in Hilo or (808) 329-8181 in Kona.

Reach Kevin Dayton at kdayton@honoluluadvertiser.com.