The Hawaiian Islands have a population of over 1.4 million, but behind the beauty of the islands lies a much darker secret. There have been numerous cases of Hawaiian Missing and Murdered Women and Girls in recent years, and many of those cases remain unsolved.
These disappearances and murders are largely unsolved. This situation has become a source of deep anguish for many Hawaiians, leaving them with unanswered questions and an urge to discover the truth. Some of these stories have become flashpoints in the community, arousing public pressure to uncover the truth.
Dawn Momohara
One such unsolved case is that of Dawn Momohara The death of Dawn Momohara has left a deep scar in the hearts of many. More than 44 years have passed, yet the person responsible for her untimely demise remains at large and unaccountable. On that fateful day, March 20th 1977, 11th-grade student Dawn Momohara told her mother Mabel she was going to meet up with friends at the Ala Moana Center shopping center on Ala Moana Blvd. She was wearing a green muumuu with floral print and slippers when she left their home on Elm Street.
Little did they know that this would be the last time they saw each other alive; just after 10:38 PM that same evening, police officers discovered Dawn's lifeless body lying in an alleyway near Koko Head Elementary School. The cause of death appeared to be blunt force trauma to the head inflicted by an unknown assailant. Despite extensive investigations conducted by local authorities and a $25000 reward offered for information leading to her killer’s apprehension, no arrests were made and justice remained elusive for those closest to her.
Dawn's tragic passing serves as a reminder of how fragile life can be - one moment we are here and then gone in an instant without warning or explanation. It also serves as a stark reminder that even today there are still unsolved cases like hers where loved ones continue to suffer from not knowing who took away their beloved family member or friend so suddenly without reason or remorse. We must never forget those taken too soon nor stop searching until justice is served - no matter how long it takes!
Dawn Momohara of Honolulu, Honolulu County, Hawaii was born on December 28, 1960, and died at age 16 years old in March 1977.
Sixteen-year-old Dawn Momohara was found murdered at McKinley High School in 1977. 1039 S King St, Honolulu, 96814, HI
The Honolulu Police Department say reports indicate she was sexually assaulted and strangled to death.
Former McKinley High School students recall the day after it happened.
“It was a school day and it happened the night before,” said Susie Chun Oakland, a former student. “A teacher had found her and it was early in the morning, second floor of the English building.”
“I think all of us [were] really shocked.”
Susie Chun Oakland said she was a freshman at the time. She said it was all people could talk about for days, partly because the killer was never found.
“It was a crime scene. It wasn’t something natural,” said Oakland. “McKinley never had that kind of incident before, so I think everyone was quite afraid.”
Police have released sketches of a person of interest and possible suspect in the case. They’ve also released a possible suspect vehicle which is a 1974 or 1975 Pontiac Lemans with louvered rear windows, a maroon bottom and white vinyl top.
More than 44 years has passed. The person responsible for her death has yet to be brought to justice.On the afternoon of March 20th, 1977, Dawn Momohara, an 11th grade student at McKinley High School, told her mother, Mabel Manohara.That she was going to meet up with her friends at the Ala Moana Center.A shopping center at Ala Moana Blvd.But once she left her home on Elm Street, clad in a green muumuu with floral print and slippers, she never returned.At around 10:38 PM the same day, Mabel contacted the Honolulu Police Department and reported her daughter missing, which prompted a search by law enforcement.Police officials questioned her friends and acquaintances in hopes to of finding out what happened to Dawn Mohara.But to no avail.The following morning, Don was found dead and it is unknown if she had ever, ever made it to the shopping center, according to Honolulu Star Bulletin.At around 7:25 AM on March 21st, 1977.A teacher at McKinley High School entered the second floor of the English building and found Dawn's body near a classroom that was in proximity to the stairwell.Said that the time Don's body was found, her green Moo Moo was pulled over her head.Her body was transported to the city's medical examiner 's office for an autopsy, which revealed that Dawn was sexually assaulted and strangled to death.Investigators believe Dawn, whose classmates described her as quiet and shy student who didn't hang out with a fast crowd, was killed the night before her body was found.But how she ended up at the high school remains a mystery.The Honolulu Advice.Advertiser reported that although the classrooms were locked, the entrances and corridors at the high school did not have doors, making the halls easily accessible to the public.At Wendy's told police they saw a man leaving the school the day before Dawn Mohara was found murdered.He is believed to be Oriental with dark shoulder length hair. He could be between 5 foot five and five foot 7 inches tall.With slim build.A vehicle was also seen parked alongside the building.Which could have belonged to the perpetrator. It is described as a 2 door 1974 or 1975 Pontiac Lemans with lowered wear rear windows.A maroon bottom and a white vinyl top, according to KHON 2.Several days after Dawn's death, Honolulu police released a composite sketch of the possible suspect and a vehicle.
“What HPD is doing in terms of still trying to find who had killed her, I think for the family and for the community is important,” said Oakland.
She said the incident has stuck with her all this time and she hopes the killer is found one day.
“Just for that to happen was very unusual and very tragic, and it just shouldn’t have happened to a young life,” said Oakland.
For more information on this and other cold cases, you can visit the HPD’s website.
If the man in the sketch or the vehicle looks familiar, you can call Crimestoppers at 955-8300. You can also e-mail HPD at this link.Police seek help to solve decades-old murder of McKinley High School student | KHON2
In 1960, in the year that Dawn Momohara was born, on May 1st, an American CIA U-2 spy plane, piloted by Francis Gary Powers, was shot down by a surface-to-air missile over the Soviet Union. Powers ejected and survived but was captured. The U.S. claimed that the U-2 was a "weather plane" but Powers was convicted in the Soviet Union of espionage. He was released in 1962 after 1 year, 9 months and 10 days in prison.
In 1972, she was just 12 years old when on September 5th, the Palestinian terrorist group Black September, with the assistance of German neo-nazis, kidnapped and killed 11 Israeli athletes at the Olympic Games in Munich. The attackers crept into the Olympic Village and abducted the athletes while they were sleeping. A German policeman was also killed.
In 1974, she was just 14 years old when on July 30th, the House Judiciary Committee adopted three articles of impeachment against President Nixon. He was charged with obstruction of justice, failure to uphold laws, and the refusal to produce material subpoenaed by the committee. In order to avoid impeachment, Richard M. Nixon announced that he would resign on August 8th, the first President to do so.
In 1975, at the age of just 15 years old, Dawn was alive when on September 5th, Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme tried to assassinate President Ford in Sacramento, California. She failed when her gun wouldn't fire. President Ford escaped a second assassination attempt 17 days later on September 22 when Sarah Jane Moore tried to shoot him in San Francisco. A bystander saw her raise her arm, grabbed it, and the shot went wild.
In 1977, in the year of Dawn Momohara's passing, on May 25th, Star Wars premiered in theaters. Eventually, it became the highest-grossing film of all time - until E.T. surpassed it a few years later. It was an immediate hit with theatergoers. Dawn Momohara (1960 - 1977) - Honolulu, Hawaii | AncientFaces Free Family History
Lynn Emiko Ebisuzaki
Another unsolved murder case lies with Lynn Emiko Ebisuzaki, 21 Jan 1961 in Hilo, Hawaii County, Hawaii, USA, Gary H.; daughters Jill H. Arakaki and Claire R. Aniya
Big Island police are renewing their request for information regarding an unsolved murder investigation from 1987.
Hawaii Island Police are renewing public interest in a 34-year-old cold case in an effort to nab a murder suspect.
On May 1, 1987 at about 9:15 p.m., Lynn Ebisuzaki walked out of her boyfriend’s home in the 500 block of Kanoelehua Avenue in South Hilo.
Police say that was the last time Ebisuzaki, 26, was seen alive.
Investigators eventually found her body in the bushes a few hundred feet away from the residence.
Autopsy reports confirm Lynn Ebisuzaki died from a single stab wound. Her death was ruled a homicide.
“The boyfriend was looked at as a potential suspect in the initial stages of the investigation. As of now, we still don’t have evidence that would positively identify him as a suspect,” said Detective Derek Morimoto, who took over the case in 2017.
The case bothers Morimoto for a number of reasons.
“The way she was either forcefully removed or taken from the home is alarming. Back in the late ’80s, a lot of people on the Big Island did not lock their houses. Crime was not as much as it is today.
“What’s troubling is, this happened to someone who I don’t consider a high-risk individual.”
By all accounts, Ebisuzaki was not the type of person to be wrapped up in illegal activities.
The 26-year-old woman held a steady job in the business office at Miko Meats at the time of her death.
Ebisuzaki had no known enemies. Morimoto says anyone he’s ever interviewed has spoken highly of her.
She also spent a majority of her free time as a Youth Leader for Kinoole Baptist Church in Hilo.
“What’s even more troublesome, is the responsible person is still out there,” Morimoto added.
Sadly, Ebisuzaki’s parents passed away before finding out who killed their daughter. Her father Sgt Yasuji “Y” Ebisuzaki in mid 1996, and mother, Asako “Dora” Ebisuzaki, in early 2004.
Hawaii Island Police want anyone with information that can lead to an arrest to come forward.
“There’s always someone who knows something. Even if it’s just a little piece of information. Or someone may have heard someone talking over the years, and may have been reluctant to call police. We’re trying to give this opportunity to the public to contact us. We’re hoping someone may have the missing piece to the puzzle,” said Morimoto.
If you have information that can help Hawaii Island Police, contact the department via email at unsolvedhomicides@hawaiicounty.gov.
Ms. Lynn Ebisuzaki was a graduate of Hilo High School in 1979, and University of Hawaii - Hilo in 1984.
Lynn was a member of Kinoole Baptist Church, UH-Hilo Baptist Student Union Committee, Panaewa Kumiai Association, and she spent the majority of her free time as a Youth Leader for Kinoole Baptist Church in Hilo.
The victim of an unsolved homicide, the case is still active with Hawaii Island Police (as of this month, March 2021).
Today marks 30 years since the murder of 26-year-old Lynn Ebisuzaki. On May 1, 1987, at approximately 10:00 p.m., Hilo patrol officers responded to a home in the 500 block of Kanoelehua Avenue to look for a missing female. They learned that 26-year-old Lynn Ebisuzaki was last seen exiting the residence at 9:15 p.m. and failed to return. Officers conducted a search of the property and adjoining properties and eventually located the lifeless body of the young female.
, Lynn Ebisuzaki, age 26, walked out of a residence she was visiting in the 500 block of Kanoelehua Avenue near the airport in South Hilo. When persons in the home realized she had not returned, they searched the areas surrounding the residence but could not find her and called police. Responding officers expanded the search area and located Ebisuzaki’s body in the bushes a few hundred feet away from the residence.
Ebisuzaki was observed to be bleeding from an apparent stab wound. An autopsy confirmed that she died as a result of being stabbed and her death was ruled a homicide.
Ebisuzaki worked in the business office at Miko Meats,230 KEKUANAOA ST, Hilo, Hawaii 96720, at the time of her death and was also active in church at Kino’ole Baptist Church, 1815 Kino'ole St in Hilo, HI 96720.
An autopsy determined that Ebisuzaki died as a result of a stab wound. Her death was ruled a homicide.
Police ask anyone with information of the murder to contact Detective Derek Morimoto of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section at (808) 961-2380 or Derek.Morimoto@hawaiicounty.gov.
Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the island-wide Crime Stoppers number at 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.00. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers does not record calls or subscribe to any Caller ID service. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.
Jie Zhao Li
There is also the unsolved case of Jie Zhao Li -
04/10/1975
missing since February 1988 when she was 12 years old-“Back then everyone thought Hawaii was safe, immune to the idea of dangerous predators snatching children.”
Jie Zhao was a student at Royal Elementary School in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1988. She selling Zippy's Chili tickets for a fundraiser for her class door-to-door in her neighborhood on February 11, 1988.
Her family lived in an apartment on Nuuanu Avenue, and she promised to return by approximately 6:00 p.m. Her mother gave her a wristwatch and Jie Zhao said she would time herself when selling her tickets. She never returned home.
Jie Zhao was last seen near the 7-11 convenience store on Nuuanu Avenue and Kuakini Street, just a few blocks from her home, at approximately 4:45 p.m. She approached people going in and out of the convenience store to ask if they wanted to buy her tickets.
She was speaking to people as they were getting in and out of their cars, and witnesses stated she may have gotten into a Chevrolet sedan, described as a 1955, 1956 or 1957 model. Later efforts to track down and question all the owners of vehicles that met that description resulted in no leads.
Jie Zhao's family began searching for her that evening; the authorities were brought in the following morning. In spite of a massive search, no trace of her was wever found. Investigators believe Jie Zhao was abducted by a non-family member, and foul play is suspected in her case.
Sketches of a person of interest are posted with this case summary. The man has never been identified and it is unclear whether he was involved in Jie Zhao's case.
Jie Zhao was born in China and emigrated to the United States three years before her disappearance. Her family has kept the same telephone number since 1988, in case she tries to contact them. Her case remains unsolved. Jie Zhao Li – The Charley Project
Yan Ruan Li and her husband arrived in Honolulu on the island of O’ahu from China in 1987. Due to China’s strict one-child policy in place at the time, they had to keep two of their children hidden until they could leave the country. Just one year after arriving in Honolulu, Jie Zhao Li, one of their daughters, went missing. Jie Zhao was 12 years old when she disappeared in 1988 while selling tickets for a school fundraiser in her neighborhood. She had been going door-to-door selling tickets for Zippy's chili; according to its website, Zippy’s is a well-known diner in the state famous for its chili. Jie Zhao was last seen around 4:45 p.m. at the 7-11 convenience store at Nu'uanu Ave. and Kuakini Street in Honolulu. Patrons of the store remember her approaching people walking in and out of the store and asking them if they wanted to buy her tickets. When she failed to return home by 6:00 pm as promised to her mother, her family began searching for her. She was reported missing to authorities the next day. Charlene Takeno of the Missing Child Center of Hawaii notes that people still remember Jie Zhao’s disappearance because everyone thought “Hawaii was safe and immune to the idea of dangerous predators snatching children.”
Upon seeing that Jie Zhao had simply vanished, Gary Dias, a now-retired Honolulu Police Department homicide lieutenant who was in charge of the case, recalled how he dismissed the idea that Jie Zhao had run away after discussions with her family; she did not have a history of running away and nothing suggested she would. Missing person posters and fliers were quickly put up and a detailed foot search along with an investigation led by hundreds of officers began. Leads came in such as the one from a patrol officer who reported a young man who had a history of harassing young girls at Nu’uanu Ave. During questioning, Lt. Dias learned that the man was paranoid-schizophrenic and would speak about himself in the third person. Based on a conversation where “he” took Jie Zhao to the Nu’uanu Stream, the department undertook an “extremely extensive” search of the area utilizing the SWAT team and cadaver dogs but the search yielded nothing. After numerous attempts to get him to reveal where “he” had taken Jie Zhao, Lt. Dias strategized that perhaps pretending like he did not believe him anymore might get him to open up. That ploy did not work either. The man became threatening over time to the point where showed up at Lt. Dias’ home armed with a gun while he was not at home. The man was arrested and spent time in psychiatric care. Lt. Dias and others in the department believed the man had something to do with Jie Zhao’s disappearance but could never find a link.
Another lead was someone seeing a young Asian girl get into a 1950s Chevrolet; people recalled that Jie Zhao had been seen speaking to people getting in and out of their cars. The witness described it as a 1955-1957 Chevy so the police research department compiled a list of all registered Chevrolets between 1950 and 1959 (when the design change occurred) and physically checked each vehicle but to no avail. Lt. Dias described how a detective was assigned to each of the hundreds of owners with registered Chevrolets so they could meet with them and take a look at the car. Yet another tip suggested Jie Zhao had been kidnapped by someone from China. Lt. Dias still thinks about Jie Zhao and wonders if he did enough to locate her; he feels at the time of the incident, they all did the best they could.
Mrs. Li has kept the same phone number all these years in case Jie Zhao ever calls. In fact, Mrs.Li cried for days upon seeing age-progression photos of what her daughter might look like at the age of 27 and 38. Mr. Li, for years, also routinely searched for Jie Zhao by walking the streets along Nu'uanu Avenue and Kuakini Street. In a 2014 newspaper interview, Mrs. Li recognized that a slew of recent missing persons cases such as Elizabeth Smart’s and Jaycee Dugard’s had recently been solved with positive news and while “it does give her hope…she doesn't' want to give herself false hope."
Jie Zhao remains missing. If you have any information regarding Jie Zhao, please contact Crimestoppers at (808) 955-8300, or the Missing Child Center Hawaii at (808) 586-1449.
Questions:
Lt. Dias has a section about Jie Zhao in his book. Do we know what happened to the mentally ill man? He is last described in psychiatric care.
Links:
http://charleyproject.org/case/jie-zhao-li
https://books.google.com/books/about/Honolulu_Homicide.html?id=pwL505R0_zcC
Jie Zhao’s family immigrated to the United States from China in 1987. Please consider learning more about Pacific Gateway Center at https://www.pacificgatewaycenter.org/ . The organizations seeks to empower immigrants, refugees and vulnerable populations by offering immigration and naturalization assistance along with offering individualized services such as assistance with food, health care, religious and spiritual needs, legal assistance, employment, education, interpretation and translation services, ESL, child care, clothing, crisis intervention, transportation, and crime victim advocacy.
Thank you. It certainly seems like a predator who took the opportunity. I’m not sure what to make of the schizophrenic man; he probably knows more than he is letting on. What surprised me as well was the number of 1950s Chevrolets, I thought it would have been no more than 100 if even that many.
Little girl's disappearance remains one of Hawaii's biggest unsolved mysteries - YouTube
Mother of Girl Missing for 20 Years Breaks Her Silence http://archive.today/lFmT2
Jie was last seen around 4PM, selling Zippy's Chili tickets near the 7-Eleven store on Nu'uanu Avenue, near Kuakini Street. She was selling tickets door-to-door to raise funds for her school, Royal Elementary, to fund a school trip to the Big Island. Over 39,000 man hours were utilized on Jie's case by the Honolulu Police Department during the eight-week period following her disappearance in 1988. Her mother, Li Yan Li, has kept the same phone number in hopes that her daughter will call. Authorities believe that the little girl was kidnapped and suspect foul play in her disappearance.
Jie and her family are originally from China. They moved to Hawaii in 1985, three years before Jie went missing.
Agency Name: Honolulu Police Department
Agency Contact Person: Sergeant Elizabeth Merrill
Agency Phone Number: (808) 529-3115
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: B49038
NCIC Case Number: M595129284
NCMEC Case Number: 771613
NamUs Case Number: 6301
33DFHI - Jie Zhao Li (doenetwork.org)
Jie Zhao was last seen in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 11th, 1988. At the time she disappeared, Jie Zhao was selling Zippy’s Chili Tickets door to door for a school fundraiser. She was selling these in her Nuuanu Avenue where she lived in an apartment at the time with her family. Jie Zhao promised her mother, Yan Ruan Li, that she would be back by 6:00 pm.
Yan Ruan gave her daughter an adult-sized wristwatch and Jie Zhao said she would time herself while she delivered the tickets. Jie Zhao never returned home and was never heard from again. Jie Zhao was last seen at some point between 4:30 pm and 4:45 pm. She was seen in the vicinity of two 7-eleven stores on Nuaanu and Kuakini Street.
This is just a few blocks away from her home at the time. She was approaching people who were going in and out of the store. She also did this as they got into our out of their cars. It’s possible Jie Zhao got into a vehicle at this location. Other witness accounts place the child on the corner of South School Street and Nuuanu Avenue.
There, she was observed speaking to a still unidentified individual. The individual is described as being a Caucasian male who was between 30 and 35 years of age in 1988. He was approximately 6 feet tall and he had dark blonde hair which was combed back. He had a high forehead as well. This individual is considered a person of interest in the case.
When Jie Zhao didn’t return home that evening, her family began to search for her through the neighborhood. They called police but they didn’t begin searching until the following morning after her disappearance. Massive and extensive search efforts happened but no trace of the child was ever found.
Investigators are also looking for another man who Jie Zhao may have been seen with on the day of her disappearance and afterwards. The man is described as being dark-skinned who appeared to be in his 30s. His hair was pulled back into what appeared to be a red ponytail at the time.
The man was driving an older model, yellow colored Chevrolet. The car appeared to have been made between 1954 and 1957. The car had gray primer spots on it. It’s possible Jie Zhao was seen getting into a vehicle like this on the day of her presumed abduction. Sketches of these two individuals have been created and distributed after her disappearance.
On February 14th 1988, the man driving this car was seen at a Sunset Beach service station the North Shore. He was in his vehicle at the time. Witnesses said they saw a child who matched Jie Zhao’s description in the backseat. Investigators believe it’s likely the child seen in the vehicle was in fact Jie Zhao. They are seeking these two men for questioning and continue to search for them.
Investigators speculate that Jie Zhao was taken by a stranger. There was once a lead that Jie Zhao has been taken out of Hawaii and into the United States by airplane and was left in San Diego, California upon arrival. Investigators looked into the tip and someone was sent to locate her but the lead went nowhere.
Her family continues to hold out hope that they will find Jie Zhao alive and well. Yan Ruan has kept the same phone number all these years in hopes that her daughter will try to contact her someday. She actively continues to search for her and advocates for her return.
In 1992, Yan Ruan became an official United States Citizen. Back then in China, families were only allowed a single child so since they already had an older daughter, Yan Ruan and her husband had to hide Jie Zhao and her younger sister until they moved to Hawaii. They emigrated to the United States in 1985.
The family moved to Hawaii in 1987. At the time of her disappearance, Jie Zhao attended school and Royal Elementary School in Honolulu in 1988. Her presumed abduction remains unsolved and the two men suspected in her case remain unidentified.
Suspect Information:
Images: These sketches depict a man who is considered a person of interest in her presumed abduction. His description is provided in the “details of disappearance” section Jie Zhao Li – The Resource Center For Cold Case Missing Children’s Cases (rcccmcc.com)
The stories of Dawn Momohara, Lynn Emiko Ebisuzaki, and Jie Zhao Li are sadly not unique. Hawaiian communities have become increasingly aware of the vulnerable state of women and girls in the Islands, and the unsolved cases of these women and girls have become a driving force in the fight against further disappearances, abductions, and deaths.
While the Hawaiian Islands have seen an increase in violent crimes over the past decade, it's saddening to see that many of these cases are still unsolved. We must continue to demand justice for the victims and their families, and ensure that these cases are not forgotten. It's clear that much work is still needed to protect Hawaiian women and girls from violent crime.
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