Overview:
Inmate Set on Fire at Belau Prison – Motive Still Unknown
Chico Matsuoka, jailed on multiple felony charges, was reportedly doused with gasoline and set ablaze Sunday. Authorities say he was alone in his cell and suffered non-life-threatening burns. Investigators are probing how gasoline entered the prison and whether Matsuoka acted alone.
By: L.N. Reklai
KOROR, Palau (December 29, 2025) — An inmate who was set on fire inside Koror Jail last weekend died in the hospital on Saturday, Dec. 27, despite earlier statements by Bureau of Public Safety (BPS) Director Elobt that his burn injuries were not serious, intensifying scrutiny of safety, oversight and transparency at the Koror jail after a year marked by multiple major incidents.
Inmate Chico Matsuoka was doused with gasoline and ignited while inside his cell on Sunday, Dec. 21. BPS Director Curtis Elobt said at the time that officers responded immediately after hearing Matsuoka scream and that the burns were “not serious.” Matsuoka was transported to the hospital but died six days later.
Authorities have not publicly released an official cause of death.
Since the death, the Bureau of Public Safety (BPS) has not responded to multiple requests from Island Times seeking confirmation of the cause of death, details of the medical assessment, or clarification of the apparent discrepancy between initial statements and the fatal outcome.
Elobt previously said a preliminary review of closed-circuit television footage showed no indication that another person was inside Matsuoka’s cell at the time of the incident. Investigators have not determined whether Matsuoka was doused with gasoline by someone else or whether he set himself on fire.
Officials have also acknowledged uncertainty over how gasoline entered the facility. Elobt said that while prison bars prevent inmates from escaping, small items can be passed through them, suggesting one possible avenue through which the flammable substance reached the cell.
No clear motive has been identified. Some have speculated that Matsuoka may have been attempting to leave the jail under the guise of medical treatment, though authorities have not confirmed that theory.
Matsuoka’s death comes during a turbulent year for the Koror jail, which has seen several serious incidents raise public concern about security and inmate management. The facility has experienced three prison escapes this year, the latest one still at large, in addition to multiple violent incidents involving inmates.
Matsuoka was recently charged in connection with the hacking death of fellow inmate Johnston Etpison, a case that shocked the community. He was also accused in a separate, more recent incident of attacking another inmate, Burton Wenty, with a piece of rebar. That alleged assault occurred before Matsuoka’s death.
With the inmate now dead, a series of questions remain unanswered by BPS, including how the burns were initially assessed as not serious, who made that determination, and whether complications from the injuries directly caused his death. It remains unclear how gasoline entered a secured jail facility, whether surveillance footage fully accounts for the events leading up to the fire, and whether any officers or supervisors are under internal review for possible lapses in security or supervision.
It is also not known whether Matsuoka’s death will trigger an independent review of prison safety protocols or whether the investigation will remain internal.
As of publication, BPS had not issued a public statement acknowledging Matsuoka’s death or outlining next steps in the investigation.
The investigation into the Dec. 21 incident remains ongoing.