Diane Suzuki
Encyclopedia
Diane Suzuki was a nineteen-year old dancer and student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa
who disappeared on July 6, 1985, and has since been the focus of one of the most notorious modern criminal investigations in the history of the state of Hawaii
. The Diane Suzuki investigation was the instance in which luminol
and other technological advances in forensic science were first used by the Honolulu Police Department
.
Suzuki was a female resident of Halawa
, 5 feet 1 inch tall, 109 pounds, with a slim build, and of Japanese descent. Suzuki was last seen at about 5 p.m. on July 6, 1985, outside the Rosalie Woodson Dance Academy in Aiea
, where she was employed as a dance instructor.
During the same time period in Hawaii, there were the unsolved killings of at least nine women on Oahu. The deaths of Lisa Au, Regina Sakamoto, and others all over the island, led many to believe that there was a crime wave during the 1980s.
The discovery of blood evidence at the site led to legislation that overhauled Hawaii's harassment laws to include stalking
, and changed the status of TRO violations to a class C felony (with a maximum penalty of 5 years in jail) in the hope of preventing further violence against women.
In 1993, Keith Kaneshiro, who was then prosecuting attorney for the City and County of Honolulu, attempted to re-open the case, but after more than 300 hours of grand jury testimony and thousands of dollars spent on the investigation, no charges were filed. The case remains unsolved as of August 10, 2010.
University of Hawaii at Manoa
The University of Hawaii at Mānoa is a public, co-educational university and is the flagship campus of the greater University of Hawaii system...
who disappeared on July 6, 1985, and has since been the focus of one of the most notorious modern criminal investigations in the history of the state of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. The Diane Suzuki investigation was the instance in which luminol
Luminol
Luminol is a versatile chemical that exhibits chemiluminescence, with a striking blue glow, when mixed with an appropriate oxidizing agent...
and other technological advances in forensic science were first used by the Honolulu Police Department
Honolulu Police Department
The Honolulu Police Department is the principal law enforcement agency of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawai'i, headquartered in the Alapa'i Police Headquarters in Honolulu CDP....
.
Suzuki was a female resident of Halawa
Halawa, Hawaii
Halawa is a census-designated place in the ‘Ewa District of Honolulu County, Hawaii, United States. Halawa Stream branches into two valleys: North and South Halawa; North Halawa is the larger stream and fluvial feature. Their confluence is within the H-3/H-201 highways exchange. Most of Halawa...
, 5 feet 1 inch tall, 109 pounds, with a slim build, and of Japanese descent. Suzuki was last seen at about 5 p.m. on July 6, 1985, outside the Rosalie Woodson Dance Academy in Aiea
Aiea
Aiea or Aiea may refer to:* Members of the Hawaiian flowering plant genus Nothocestrum**Nothocestrum breviflorum A.Gray - Smallflower aiea...
, where she was employed as a dance instructor.
During the same time period in Hawaii, there were the unsolved killings of at least nine women on Oahu. The deaths of Lisa Au, Regina Sakamoto, and others all over the island, led many to believe that there was a crime wave during the 1980s.
The discovery of blood evidence at the site led to legislation that overhauled Hawaii's harassment laws to include stalking
Stalking
Stalking is a term commonly used to refer to unwanted and obsessive attention by an individual or group to another person. Stalking behaviors are related to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person and/or monitoring them via the internet...
, and changed the status of TRO violations to a class C felony (with a maximum penalty of 5 years in jail) in the hope of preventing further violence against women.
In 1993, Keith Kaneshiro, who was then prosecuting attorney for the City and County of Honolulu, attempted to re-open the case, but after more than 300 hours of grand jury testimony and thousands of dollars spent on the investigation, no charges were filed. The case remains unsolved as of August 10, 2010.