The question of whether the Hawaii County Police Department will have to turn over records of its investigation into new developments in the Dana Ireland case will now go to the state Supreme Court.

Lawyers representing Albert Ian and Shawn Schweitzer previously filed a motion to compel the department to release records of its investigation into Albert Lauro Jr., recently identified as being the source of DNA found on Ireland after her killing in 1991. He killed himself last month after police took a cheek swab from him.

Judge Peter Kubota last week granted the lawyers’ motion and ordered that a subpoena be issued to the department for multiple items. These included tapes, emails and written communications regarding taking the swab from Lauro on July 19, as well as what he said before, during and after.

Police said they spoke to Lauro at the station for about an hour when they took the swab but lacked probable cause to arrest him for Ireland’s murder. He killed himself at his home days later.

The department was going to have to hand over the records on Wednesday, according to Keith Shigetomi, an attorney representing Shawn Shweitzer. A hearing regarding the Schweitzer brothers’ bid for actual innocence was scheduled for Friday. It’s now been canceled.

Lawyers for the police department argue that disclosing the records could compromise their investigation. In the petition filed with the court Wednesday, they also state that the investigation is “in its infancy” and some of the records requested are incomplete or unavailable.

“Given the new developments in the underlying case, HPD is currently in the midst of completing interviews of witnesses and/or subjects, analyzing Lauro’s electronic devices, finalizing written narratives, and awaiting autopsy and toxicology reports,” the petition says. “Releasing incomplete records during this ongoing investigation would categorically disrupt the criminal investigation and could jeopardize the integrity of the investigation.”

But with Lauro now dead, Brian Black, president and executive director of the Public First Law Center, said it begs the question, “Who are they investigating?”

During Wednesday’s hearing, Kubota asked the attorney for Hawaii County, E. Britt Bailey, how the police investigation could still be going on, HNN reported.

“Are you going to prosecute this dead guy?” he said.

He also said he thought the county’s motions were ways to delay the Schweitzers’ civil case, HNN reported. The Schweitzers were exonerated in Ireland’s death last year after Ian Schweitzer spent 25 years in prison, according to the Innocence Project. But they have not been declared actually innocent, which needs to happen for them to seek compensation from the county.

“These guys were convicted 23 years ago and they’re seeking a determination of actual innocence and in my view, justice delayed at your behest, is justice denied,” Kubota said, according to HNN.

Black said there are other weaknesses in the police department’s argument.

The department says it should not have to release the records under an exemption of the Uniform Information Practices Act that allows government records to remain private when their release would frustrate a “legitimate government function.”

But Black said UIPA doesn’t apply in this case.

“Innocence Project didn’t ask them for the records under UIPA, they asked them for records under litigation,” he said. “That’s got a completely different standard … It’s just a completely different framework for how you look at what the obligations are, what you have to disclose and what reasons you have for not disclosing.”

Ultimately, it is up to the judge overseeing the case to decide if the police department will have to give up the records. It could take anywhere from weeks to months for the Supreme Court to decide on what to do about the police department’s petition, Black said.

Lawyers with the New York and Hawaii Innocence Projects partnered with a private DNA identification company earlier this year to track down the source of semen recovered from Ireland’s body after she was found nearly dead on a fishing trail in Puna. Investigators were able to narrow down the results to identify Lauro as the suspect, and Innocence Project lawyers say Big Island police mishandled the case by failing to take him into custody. 

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A Honolulu company has trained and mentored some of the brightest scientific minds across the country this summer.

Each year, Oceanit selects a handful of interns nationwide for their summer program that teaches them to apply their academics to real-world problems.

The projects have zero limitations and can apply to any field or subject.

Through identifying problems, the students work alongside company professionals and their assigned mentor to research, conceptualize and develop innovative solutions.

“We look for people that are excited to learn new things and to try new things. We encourage them to try something really hard that might be very impactful, even at the risk of it failing because there’s a lot to learn from that too,” said Oceanit CEO Patrick Sullivan.

Oliver Nishikawa is a rising third-year chemical engineering student at Cornell University and a Punahou School graduate. His innovation project focuses on extracting an acid from corn waste and turning it into a natural herbicide that isn’t harmful to humans or the environment.

“When I applied to Oceanit and I got the internship, I was really excited that I could be pursuing something related to engineering while still being at home and being around my family,” Nishikawa said.

“In the beginning it was hard for me to think for myself on the context of my data that I had gathered in the lab. Through my mentors, I think I’m learning to be able to behave independently in lab and to kind of talk about my results and back them up with confidence.”

Joel Kiernan is a recent Stanford graduate whose innovation project explores the use of Orbital Transfer Vehicles to redirect space junk and debris to prevent satellite collisions.

“As an intern, being able to walk up to desks, send cold emails and get such a warm response and access to just a wealth of knowledge to then build on this idea and get really concrete expert advice,” Kiernan said.

“It’s not just one product, one idea here, it’s this huge breadth of ideas.”

The students will present their ideas Wednesday at Oceanit’s innovation summit to company employees, Hawaii State Sens. Troy Hashimoto and Glenn Wakai, and Hawaii State Reps. Daniel Holt and Scot Matayoshi.

Copyright 2024 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

Large, overhanging roof eaves and homes with multiple dwellings are featured in this roundup of eight houses located on the islands of Hawaii.

Designed by studios such as Walker Warner Architects, Olson Kundig and more, many of the eight residences below feature roofs informed by vernacular architecture and a variety of semi-enclosed spaces to take advantage of Hawaii’s plentiful views.

Hawaii has more than 137 islands, with eight major islands holding most of the buildings.

While the whole cluster of islands is considered the US state of Hawaii, its largest island – referred to sometimes as The Big Island – is called Hawaii. Many of the houses on this list rest on that landmass.

From a house organised around a central courtyard to one enclosed in wooden storm shutters, they illustrate different techniques in adapting structures to the island state’s moderate tropical climate.

Read on for eight residences spread throughout Hawaii’s major islands.

Hale Kiawe, Hawaii, by Walker Warner Architects

This family house is located along the Kona Coast on The Big Island and encompasses a main dwelling, two guesthouses a detached garage and a swimming pool.

Its design was influenced by a traditional Hindu system of architecture called Vastu Shastra, following the client’s Indian heritage.

Find out more about Hale Kiawe ›

Hale Napo’o, Kauai, by Olson Kundig Architects

Located on the northern coast of the island of Kauai, Hale Napo’o is covered by a series of wooden storm shutters and deep overhangs.

Its expansive, hipped roof was informed by a style popularised by local architect CW “Pop” Dickey in the 1920s and 1930s.

Find out more about Hale Napo’o ›

Musubi, Hawaii, by Craig Steely Architecture

Named after a popular triangular Japanese snack – also referred to as onigiri, the Musubi house is organised around a central triangular courtyard and topped with an overhanging “diamond-shaped” roof.

Its main structure is also shaped like a triangular, albeit with curved corners, and contains two bedrooms, a kitchen and a large, sunken living room.

Find out more about Musubi ›

Villa, Hawaii, by De Reus Architects

De Reus Architects perched this residence on a swath of solidified lava, which overlooks the leeward side of The Big Island.

Totalling 10,000 square feet (929 square metres), the house was broken into individual volumes, including a series of bedrooms which extend off the main house.

Find out more about Villa ›

Hale Mau’u, Hawaii, by Walker Warner Architects 

Hale Mau’u is located in the “arid plain” of The Big Island and is comprised of several, separate volumes.

“The arrangement of the 4,817-square-foot (447-square-metre) compound had to do three things: catch the mountain view, catch the ocean view, and then block the view of the neighbouring houses,” said the Walker Warner Architects co-founder Greg Warner.

Find out more about Hale Mau’u ›

Kua Bay Residence, Hawaii, by Walker Warner Architects 

Kua Bay Residence is a basalt and cedar-clad house perched on a mountainside of lava rock, with rooms and spaces that flow into one another, influenced by its coastal setting.

Taking cues from how the lava formation and water flow towards the Pacific Ocean, the interior is meant to seamlessly transition between spaces.

Find out more about Kua Bay Residence ›

LifeEdited: Maui, Maui, by LifeEdited 

Design consultancy LifeEdited built this Maui home as a model for sustainable, off-grid living.

Strategies such as solar-powered electricity, a rain water collection system, and efficient LED lighting were integrated throughout the house, which is designed to comply with the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, a program aimed at implementing 100 per cent clean energy across the archipelago.

Find out more about LifeEdited: Maui ›

Hale Lana, Hawaii, by Olson Kundig

Hale Lana is a 17,200-square-foot (1,598-square-metre) house comprised of five pavilions with overhanging roofs for a couple who wanted ample space for hosting.

Open spaces and the large roof planes usher breezes through the building, informed by techniques in local Hawaiian vernacular architecture.