The Hawaii County Police Department has announced the launch of a new website dedicated to helping solve previously unsolved homicides.
The website is to help promote an avenue for people with information about homicides to provide police with information and leads to solve cases.
"The Hawaii Police Department believes that every victim deserves justice, and that the deceased victim’s family, friends and community deserve closure," Chief Paul Ferreira told Big Island Times. "Our unsolved homicides division steadily investigates all leads and evidence in unsolved homicide investigations, seeing it as their solemn duty to bring these killers to justice."
Although the unsolved homicide website has been a project long talked about, it only came to fruition through the "alignment of the right people in the right places," Ferreira said. The Hawaii Police Department also was able to feature six of its cases in a KHON 2 profile about the unsolved homicide division, the chief said.
"Investigators hoped that it would renew interest in solving these cases, especially in light of the new technology available to law enforcement such as processing biological evidence and the use of forensic genetic genealogy," he said. "Forensic information can provide investigators with useful information about crimes, and sometimes the perpetrators that were not previously available. Our investigators continue their passions to solve these cases and follow up on new leads and fresh developments from the public and technology."
Currently, the webpage features five cases from the 1980s to early 2000s. Additional cases will be added to the site as more information becomes available, a news release said.
“Hawaii police would like to remind the public that there is no statute of limitations on murder,” Ferreira said in the news release. “We have staff dedicated solely to working all leads and evidence on these older homicide cases. Our detectives are deeply committed to solving these murders and see it as their solemn duty to bring these killers to justice.”
The Hawaii Police Department also recognizes that some of the best resources in solving cases comes from information given to them by witnesses, family, friends and community members, the release said. According to Ferreira, there is no statute of limitation in murder cases, so any information is good information and could help solve a case.
Those wishing to provide tips to the police can visit hawaiipolice.com/unsolved-homicides and click "Submit a Tip," calling the unsolved homicides division at 808-961-2380 or Crime Stoppers at 808-961-8300, or emailing the division at unsolvedhomicides@hawaiicounty.gov. All tips can remain anonymous.