A protected Hawaiian monk seal was killed on Molokai, and federal investigators now suspect a person was responsible.

• NOAA is offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information about the death.
• An autopsy found the seal died from blunt force trauma to the head.
• The injury is believed to have happened in mid-August.
• Investigators think a human caused it, making this a possible criminal case.
• Hawaiian monk seals are one of the most endangered seal species in the world, so each loss matters.

Outlook: The investigation stays open, and the reward is meant to draw out witnesses who can identify who did it.