State investigates possible human remains at Oahu beach
STAR-ADVERTISER / MAY 2000
Mokuleia Beach Park
State officials say they’re working to figure out what to do with possible skeletal remains found at a beach along Oahu’s north shore.
Cheryl Oga, of Waialua, said she was shocked to discover what appeared to be “a skull, arm bones and a spine” scattered along the shoreline while fishing at Mokuleia Beach two weeks ago.
“There’s not enough sand to build up the beach so probably the rain and waves caused the erosion and that’s how the bones came out from underneath,” Oga said.
Ron Okimoto, the executive director of the nearby YMCA Camp Erdman, said the organization was first alerted to the remains by another beachgoer in November. He told Hawaii News Now that Honolulu police and representatives from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources came out and placed a marker at the site before taking off.
“The representative told me they’d be back and we’re still waiting for them to come back,” Okimoto said.
The department said it is “aware of the situation, and is working with the appropriate state agencies, Camp Erdman staff, and community to address it.”
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25 responses to “State investigates possible human remains at Oahu beach”
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mob hit from the 80’s?
My cuz Ronald told me he wen bury couple slugs there before he wen Mah-keh!
You probably right if your cousin was Ronald.
I think we got all of them. The one’s from Charlie Stevens and from Sookie Ah Sing.
Jimmy Hoffa
Can you please go back to your 1993 Angelfire bed.
The Mattos couple, Lisa Au or Peter Kema?
(Lisa Au was found 10 days after she went missing)
So, per this article, these bones were discovered and reported awhile ago but not removed??? Something doesn’t sound right.
Yeah, I got that too. Shouldn’t they have gathered the bones right away? Something missing here!
Hawaiian burials are fairly commonly found during the winter storm period on the North and North-East shorelines. They’re pretty easy to recognize from body position, dentition, and lack of fat in the bone interstices. (More than 75 or so years old)
interesting
dental
What you look for in ancient Hawaiian burials, among other things, is a lack of dental work. So, you look at the dentition of the remains as well as other things.
I think there was a plane crash in that area many years ago. They even made a TV series about it called “Lost”. Maybe the bones were from a passenger…
This sounds acceptable. Bones are discovered and the site has yet to be secured and processed?
Has HPD found all the missing persons cases? One comes to mind, Diane Suzuki. Have there been closure to that case? Are the bones not important enough to have some attention? Found in November and still waiting of official action? Some heads at DLNR and HPD got to roll.
The ocean on this side during the winter months will cause great erosion. If the bones are washed out to sea, then what?
I don’t think DLNR or HPD can move those bones until it is determined if they are ancient bones from an ancient burial site or bones from a more current time.
There are Federal Laws that protect ancient burial sites and those souls buried at or in these sites.
Yup, pohaku, and you guys in patrol used to call me to investigate. It used to be that the ME’s Office would take custody but apparently that’s not the case any more or somebody dropped the ball here.
If I were still in charge of those investigations, I would have ordered that the Iwi would have been treated with respect and have asked that Native Hawaiian Kahuna had helped with their removal and proper internment.
Hey, Pohaku, Would you be willing to speak with me? I’m writing a novel about some of the stuff we both dealt with. I would love to interview you.
“The representative told me they’d be back and we’re still waiting for them to come back,” Okimoto said. Accountability from any of these agencies? OF COURSE NOT! You know, the “Ainokea” attitude around here is accepted as normal, Standard Operating Procedure, ad nauseum. Why is that? What a joke HPD and DLNR have proven themselves to be. Our elected officials need to hold their feet to the fire. Yeah, I know. Good luck with that.
are you for real? Did you ever investigate a death case? Could you please just be quiet and caring your self.
“State officials say they’re working to figure out what to do with possible skeletal remains found at a beach along Oahu’s north shore.”
How about some forensic tests to determine something?
Those remains deserve to be treated with some dignity instead of laying around exposed. If they’re native, repatriate and rebury them in a cultural manner with dignity. If they’re modern, then solve a missing persons mystery. Duh!
Arghhh, once again our government sounds like a bunch of dumb pochos. Probably all standing in a dark room trying to figure out where the light switch is!