NCIS: Hawai'i Season 3's William 'Kono' Dahlin Tribute Explained

"NCIS: Hawai'i" returned to CBS on February 12 with the Season 3 premiere, "Run and Gun." The episode itself sees Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey) coping with a friend's death while investigating a different death. Sadly, people dying wasn't relegated to the world of fiction, as the episode contains a title card reading, "In Loving Memory of William 'Kono' Dahlin." So who was William Dahlin on "NCIS: Hawai'i"?

Reports indicate he worked as a crew member and background extra on the procedural. Dahlin was killed on July 19, 2023, following an argument at a bar that resulted in the "NCIS: Hawai'i" crew member suffering fatal gunshot wounds. Shortly upon arriving at a hospital, Dahlin was pronounced dead, with police ultimately charging the assailant with second-degree murder in addition to other charges.

The "NCIS: Hawai'i" tribute honors the memory of Dahlin, whose life was cut short too soon. Hawaii News Now spoke with a friend of Dahlin's, Russell Cleaver, who had this to say: "He always had a smile on his face."

William "Kono" Dahlin's online obituary states that he was 49 and is survived by three children — Karli, Tyler, and Jacob — as well as his father, sister, and brother. The webpage also includes tributes from people who have uploaded photos of Dahlin in addition to well wishes.

Clearly, Dahlin was well-loved within his community, and that extended to the set of "NCIS: Hawai'i." A video uploaded to Instagram by Hawaii News Report discusses Dahlin's death, and the post includes a comment from Noah Mills, who plays Jesse Boone on the CBS procedural. He wrote, "Worked [with] kono for almost 2 years day in and day out, always put a smile on my face as he [did] for many others and will be dearly missed. Prayers and thoughts to his family and loved ones. Shocked. Rip kono."

His death is a significant loss for the series as well as for anyone else in his life. Our thoughts go out to everyone who knew Dahlin.