AN experienced local hiker believes Bendigo man John Parsons may have been murdered by drug gangs after stumbling across a marijuana crop in overgrown scrubland on the tropical paradise island of Oahu.Mr Parsons, then 77, disappeared in September last year while hiking on Hawaii’s northern-most island.A member of the Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club yesterday told The Advertiser a bullet hole was found just above the right eye socket in a skull believed to be that of Mr Parsons.Wing Ng, who has been a member of the well-known club for 27 years, said a fellow hiker found the skull last month.“It could well be someone was harvesting marijuana in the flat meadow area and then they shot an intruder,” Mr Ng said.“Mr Parsons surprised them, and they killed him.“I think the police should go into that flat meadow and look for any more evidence. Maybe they will find more remains, and remnants of marijuana.“It wouldn’t be unusual for marijuana to be grown in an area like that; it’s moist and good for growing marijuana.”Mr Ng, a Honolulu tax law expert, said the flat meadow area was part of the Waimalu Ditch Trail, a spot popular with pig hunters and hikers.But the area where further human remains, including a leg bone, and some of Mr Parsons’ possessions were found is about 15 minutes further along the trail than hikers usually travel.“The place where he was last seen, the scenic spot at the end of the constructed trail, there is no steep drop-off at all that can kill,” Mr Ng said.“He could fall crossing the stream and hit his head, but that is extremely unlikely.“Pig hunters almost never shoot. “They send dogs to hold down the pig, and they kill the pig with a long knife. One pig hunter friend said he used a gun two times in 20 years.“It is most unlikely that he was shot by some pig hunter.“The most likely thing is he was killed by marijuana growers.”Mr Ng said the trail was completely overgrown, with lots of short shrubs and grass. He said the club trekked the path each year.“It’s upsetting that something has happened to a visitor on one of our trails.“I’m not happy with the way our government has been handling this and I just hope it gets solved.”A pig hunter is the last person to have reported seeing Mr Parsons.The man was hunting with two dogs, and when one dog picked up the scent of a pig, he told Mr Parsons to wait with the other dog.He said he would return in an hour, but Mr Parsons was gone 45 minutes later when he returned.Mr Parsons’ son Russell said there had been a number of rumours surrounding his father’s disappearance, but that it was very hard to distinguish between fact and fiction.Russell said family members yesterday gave DNA samples to determine if a piece of the leg bone found in Hawaii is part of the remains of John Parsons. Test results are expected within a week.“We are hopeful of getting some answers in the near future,” Mr Parsons said.Honolulu Police Department Detective Phil Camero was unavailable for comment yesterday.The US National Gang Centre reports that the Pacific Region, which includes Hawaii, is a gang violence hot spot.Although it is estimated that less than 500 gang members live in Hawaii, a report issued earlier this year said the region experienced a “significant” level of gang-related crime.“Gangs will continue to fight for control of retail-level drug distribution in locations throughout the Pacific Region,” the National Gang Threat Assessment said.“Gang-related criminal activity in the Pacific Region is significant and likely will remain significant as gang members continue to fight for control of territories.”The Advertiser reported last week that the State and Federal governments had become involved in Mr Parsons’ case.