Honolulu police say the person who killed Mary Beth San Juan knew her and that robbery was the motive, but they have no suspects.
"We are fairly confident … that there is some connection between the victim and the suspect," said Honolulu police Maj. Richard Robinson. "We don’t believe this is a random act or random robbery."
The body of the real estate broker and aspiring actress was found Tuesday evening, bound, gagged, wrapped in a rug and left lying in her Punahou Street driveway.
San Juan was stabbed multiple times at the house, and there is no evidence she was sexually assaulted, Robinson said Thursday at a news conference.
One key piece of evidence is surveillance video taken at 12:30 a.m. Monday at the First Hawaiian Bank’s ATM in Manoa Marketplace.
Police are appealing to the public for tips as to the identity of what appears to be a man disguised in women’s clothing, who withdrew cash using San Juan’s ATM card. It appears the suspect refers to a glowing electronic device for the personal identification number to access her account.
The suspect, wearing a pink ball cap, is covered in clothing, including his face and hands, but police hope someone recognizes him by his mannerisms.
Robinson did not provide an estimate of the suspect’s height and weight, but said he appears to be wearing heavy clothing and that, judging from his ankles, his legs are "very skinny."
Judging from the video, Robinson is confident that robbery was the motive, and dismissed the notion it is a possible cover-up for another motive.
San Juan’s silver 2013 Mercedes Benz C250, a four-door sedan, was missing from her home Tuesday evening when her body was found by her ex-husband.
A surveillance video at the bank also shows the Mercedes pull up and park across stalls. Then a shadowy figure exits.
Police are also looking for witnesses who may have seen the car any time from early Monday morning to midday Tuesday. The Mercedes was found early Wednesday in a metered stall off the Ewa-bound lane at Kapiolani Park between the bandstand and Monsarrat Avenue.
Police are also seeking witnesses who may have seen anything between Sunday and Tuesday at San Juan’s white stucco house at 1224 Punahou St., between Shriners Hospital and the Punahou Fitness Center, adjoining the Banyan Tree Plaza condominium.
San Juan’s ex-husband, Alberto San Juan Jr., an anesthesiologist at Tripler Army Medical Center, has been questioned. "He’s been very cooperative, and we do not believe he is a suspect at this time," Robinson said.
No other details were released, including whether a weapon was recovered or where on the property the murder took place.
Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or *CRIME on a cellphone.
