Hawaii

Native Hawaiian brothers say police framed them for a tourist's murder in 1991

Published

1 year ago

January 22, 2025

Native Hawaiian brothers say police framed them for a tourist's murder in 1991

HONOLULU — Two Native Hawaiian brothers who were convicted in the 1991 killing of a woman visiting Hawaii allege in a federal lawsuit that local police framed them “under immense pressure to solve the high-profile murder” then botched an investigation last year that would have revealed the real killer using advancements in DNA technology.

Albert “Ian” Schweitzer, who had been incarcerated for more than two decades for the killing of Dana Ireland, was released in 2023 based on new evidence. Ireland, 23, a tourist from Virginia, was visiting a remote part of the Big Island when she was found along a fishing trail, raped and beaten and barely alive. She died at a hospital.

Schweitzer was one of three men who spent time behind bars over her killing, but he always maintained his innocence. His brother Shawn Schweitzer took a deal to plead guilty to manslaughter and kidnapping — and receive credit for about a year served and five years of probation — after a jury convicted his brother in 2000.

The brothers’ lawsuit insists they “had nothing to do with the crime” and that investigators never found physical evidence linking them to Ireland’s murder.

The suit was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Honolulu. It names as defendants Hawaii County, the county police chief, as well as former detectives and a prosecutor who handled the case. Both the county and the police chief say they won’t comment on pending litigation.

The lawsuit alleges the misconduct continued into last year, when advancements in DNA technology led to the identification of a new possible suspect who killed himself after police took a DNA swab from him.

Police took no steps to arrest 57-year-old Albert Lauro Jr., who lived less than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from where Ireland’s body was found, even when they knew DNA connected him to the crime scene evidence, lawyers for the Schweitzers said.

Albert “Ian” Schweitzer, left, hugs his mother, Linda, moments after a judge ordered him released from prison, in Hilo, Hawaii, Jan. 24, 2023. Credit: AP/Marco Garcia

“Instead, Defendants released Mr. Lauro, allowing a man who had been hiding a secret for more than two decades to return home free to do whatever he wanted to do,” the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for claims including denying the brothers their constitutional right to due process, conspiracy and malicious prosecution.

William Harrison, one of the Honolulu attorneys for the brothers, said Wednesday a separate effort is ongoing to seek compensation from the state for their wrongful convictions. Ian Schweitzer is entitled to $50,000 for every year spent in prison as a result of his wrongful conviction, Harrison said, noting Shawn Schweitzer spent a year in jail.

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Hawaii

Maunakea Access Road proposals include toll booth, cultural center | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Published

8 hours ago

June 30, 2026

Press Room

STAR-ADVERTISER

John De Fries

Two years after the
Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that the access road to the Maunakea summit had been illegally seized and designated as state property in 2018 by the state Department of Transportation, plans to manage it going forward are under discussion.

The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, which the court determined is the rightful manager of the land on which a four-mile stretch of the road is located, has received several proposals for projects on the road and surrounding area.

The ideas include installation of a toll booth and charging for access to the summit, construction of a gift shop and cultural center, operation of educational tours, and environmental restoration efforts, among others.

The Maunakea Stewardship and Oversight Authority — the state agency tasked with taking over management of the summit region from the University of Hawaii — earlier this month discussed partnering with DHHL and other groups to help determine the best path forward.

“Early indications are that there will be a working group comprised of the authority, (the Center for Maunakea Stewardship, the Department of Land and Natural Resources), DHHL and other immediate stakeholders who can look at what the potential would be on a holistic comprehensive basis,” MKSOA Executive
Director John De Fries said. “And in the meantime, DHHL is obligated to continue in the process of reviewing the proposals that they have
received.”

DHHL planning office staff members have presented two proposals and preliminary feedback before the Hawaiian Homes Commission meeting. Both proposals came from DHHL beneficiaries in the form of land-use requests under DHHL’s Aina Mauna Legacy Program, which was developed to oversee the trust’s lands surrounding Maunakea.

One of the proposals was submitted by the Waimea Hawaiian Homesteaders Association, also known as Waimea Nui. The group’s proposal includes building a cultural center, having trained cultural stewards on site and community and youth development opportunities. It would be funded in part by an access fee, but the presentation did not include cost or revenue estimates.

The other proposal is from Koa Kia‘i, a Native Hawaiian group led by Kalaniakea Wilson, a local tour company operator. It suggests installing a toll booth, parking lot, bathrooms, gift shop, playground, workout area and food truck along the access road, as well as operating astronomy, cultural and environmental tours. The proposal also includes cultural monitoring and ecological restoration measures.

The applicants estimate a cost of $1.5 million to implement the proposal, and a revenue of $1.75 million from the toll and parking fees in the first year of
operation.

A survey of DHHL beneficiaries suggested preference for the Waimea Nui plan, but respondents also expressed desire for the two organizations to find a way to work together.

While it will ultimately be up to DHHL to make a decision, MKSOA Board Chair John Komeiji said the authority could serve in an advisory capacity and help align the proposals with broader management plans for the mauna.

“They have to make the decision. There are two beneficiary groups that are making the proposals, so they are … duty-bound to consider both proposals,” he said during the June 18 board meeting. “But I think our job is to figure out, give them an overall holistic view of what is occurring now, how that might interface with whatever proposal.”

De Fries said he had
invited a DHHL planning
office staff member to join
MKSOA’s Joint Management Committee meeting this week to further discuss the project and potential working group.

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Hawaii

Historic Hawaiian Kukui Tree Cut Down After Nearly 30 Years at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort – WDWNT

Published

18 hours ago

June 30, 2026

Press Room

Historic Hawaiian Kukui Tree Cut Down After Nearly 30 Years at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort – WDWNT

A notable piece of living history has been removed from Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort after reportedly dying from recent cold weather.

Walt Disney World’s One-of-a-Kind Hawaiian Tree

forestryjournal.co.uk

The Polynesian Resort’s one-of-a-kind kukui nut tree was cut down in late June after Disney horticulturalists determined the tree could no longer survive in the wake of a uniquely difficult Florida winter.

The large tropical tree was located to the rear of the Great Ceremonial House, just off a guest footpath. According to a 2020 Forestry Journal feature, it was believed to be the only tree of its kind in mainland North America.

The tree, Aleurites moluccana, was donated to Disney by the people of Hawaiʻi and planted at the resort on April 5, 1997, the 25th anniversary of the opening of Magic Kingdom.

The kukui tree carried particular significance as the state tree of Hawaiʻi from 1959 forward, and it is still regarded as an important cultural symbol of the state. The tree at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort had been transplanted directly from Hawaiʻi, with a time capsule reportedly placed in the soil around its roots and base when it was planted.

In accordance with a traditional Hawaiian custom, according to the Forestry Journal piece, the kukui tree was planted behind the Great Ceremonial House rather than at the front, and it was deliberately planted by one lucky hotel guest, rather than a Cast Member. The article explained that this reflected a Hawaiian belief that kukui trees should be planted toward the rear, or “hale,” of a home and by a stranger to bring good luck.

In our photos, crews are seen working in the landscaped area near the resort’s longhouses and the Lava Pool. Orange cones and barricades block off portions of the walkway, with a utility vehicle and equipment nearby. The tree had been cut down, with a tall remaining trunk section visible where the kukui tree once stood.

At Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, the tree helped support the resort’s South Pacific placemaking. The tree’s distinct light green, silvery leaves, striking trunk, and small green fruits stood out against native Florida trees and even other tropical trees planted at the resort.

For much of the kikui’s tree life, a Moreton Bay fig tree grew nearby on the opposite side of an adjacent footpath, another transplant tree which itself was removed some time around 2022.

polynesian-resort-great-ceremonial-house-concept-art

The Facebook group Tikiman’s Unofficial Polynesian Resort Pages made a post regarding the tree’s removal, detailing that the recent unusual cold weather at the resort was too much to bear.

The tree had, however, a history of surviving violent Florida weather. A Disney Resort Team member told Forestry Journal that the kukui tree had been struck by lightning twice, survived hurricanes, nearly been uprooted, and endured prior cold snaps before this latest reported decline.

It is not currently known whether Disney plans to replace the kukui tree, or whether the reported time capsule at its base was removed, returned to the ground, or preserved elsewhere. We will keep you updated

Do you have any memories or photos of the kukui tree during its time at the Polynesian? Please share your memories with us on social media.

For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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Washington Football Pursuing Coveted 2028 Four-Star Hawaii Athlete

Published

1 day ago

June 29, 2026

Press Room

Washington Football Pursuing Coveted 2028 Four-Star Hawaii Athlete

Whether four-star 2028 prospect King Pitts has an offer from the Washington Huskies as an offensive lineman or an athlete, he’s firmly on Jedd Fisch and the Washington Huskies coaching staff’s radar.

The 6-foot-5, 255-pound two-way lineman is back in his native Hawaii and set to play his junior season at Kapa’a High School after playing at Cardinal Newman in California, after establishing himself as a national recruit during his sophomore year as an offensive tackle and versatile defensive lineman.

The No. 241 overall recruit—according to the 247Sports Composite—Pitts holds 43 total scholarship offers with two years still left of high school football.

As a defensive lineman, Pitts can play either defensive tackle or defensive end with his ability to be a disruptive force against the run and pass. Whichever position the Islands product ends up playing at the next level, there isn’t a question of if, but how well he’ll hold up against Big Ten and SEC-caliber talent.

UW hasn’t ventured heavily into recruiting Hawaii as much recently as the football program has in previous decades. Aside from signing tight end Kekua Aumua in the 2026 class, who began and finished his prep career at Kahuku after transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, for his junior season, Fisch has only signed one other prospect from Hawaii, Mililani quarterback Treston Kini McMillan in 2025.

Over the years, the Huskies have featured several notable recruits from the Islands, including defensive tackle Faatui Tuitele in 2019 and a pair of edge rushers, Zion Tupuola-Fetui in 2018 and Hau’oli Kikaha in 2010.

If Fisch and Co. can get the coveted two-way lineman on campus for at least one, if not multiple, unofficial visits over the course of the next 12 months, UW should be a major factor in Pitts’ recruitment long-term.

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