'The Other Side of Paradise' with Lynn Kawano

In this episode of "The Other Side of Paradise," we talk to the former assistant director of HSI's Honolulu office. John Tobon is a founding member of the agency, which started after the 9-11 attacks. He was at the World Trade Center when the planes hit on that day, working for U.S. Customs. Tobon describes his escape, talks about some of the international drug lords he arrested and why he is choosing to stay in Hawaii post-retirement.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Outrage over a proposed $1.5 million settlement for a wrongful death lawsuit could cost taxpayers millions, legal experts say.The family of a South African rugby star, Lindani Myeni, is suing the city and the officers who shot Myeni, killing him in 2021. The officers were also injured by Myeni during the incident.Honolulu police, the mayor, and city prosecutor were among many who opposed a settlement. Their testimony convinced the Honolulu council to reject the deal, opting instead to go to trial.In this podcast, Lynn Kawano gives us both sides of the battle, including why city attorneys pushed to settle, why they were met with strong resistance, and the unexpected potential impacts on the officers involved.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The man behind the DNA discovery in the Dana Ireland case said Hawaii County police had enough to arrest the suspect on July 19. Instead, Albert Lauro, Jr., was released and committed suicide four days later. Stephen Kramer, a former federal prosecutor and the man who co-founded the FBI's forensic genealogy team, said a DNA match from the national database CODIS was enough probable cause to arrest Lauro for Ireland's 1991 murder.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the last two years, dozens of Oahu drivers have been arrested for operating a vehicle under the influence with breathalyzer results of 0.00 — meaning no alcohol showed as present in their system, HNN Investigates has found. In the latest episode of "The Other Side of Paradise," Lynn Kawano speaks to a driver who was arrested despite being sober and gets a new response from HPD to her exclusive investigation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After nearly two days of deliberation, a federal jury returned a not guilty verdict in the sprawling bribery case against Keith Kaneshiro, Honolulu's longest-serving prosecutor. In the latest episode of "The Other Side of Paradise," Lynn Kawano talks to the jury foreman in the case, who said while he knew there was "something wrong," the evidence presented didn't back up the government's allegations beyond a reasonable doubt. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every year, thousands of Hawaii residents leave the islands for opportunities and economic relief on the continent. Many end up in Las Vegas, now home away from home for a considerable contingent of Hawaii transplants, including Native Hawaiians. In “Priced Out of Paradise,” HNN investigative reporter Lynn Kawano puts a fresh spotlight on the thriving Hawaii community she found in the Ninth Island.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

First responders are being called to overdoses daily in Hawaii as fentanyl takes hold across the state. And stopping the drug pipeline won't be easy, experts say. To understand the crisis, HNN Investigates traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border as part of a new series exploring the heavy toll of fentanyl in the islands. Anthony Chrysanthis, the deputy special agent in charge of the DEA's Los Angeles field office, said just about all of the fentanyl and methamphetamine in Hawaii are made in clandestine labs in Mexico run by the cartels.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

HNN Investigative Reporter Lynn Kawano takes you behind the scenes of a story that's rocked Hawaii's football community: Two former Hawaii football players making headlines as college starters have agreed to settle a civil lawsuit stemming from a criminal, sex assault case that was handled in juvenile court. Jayden de Laura, the starting quarterback at the University of Arizona and Kamoi Latu, the starting safety at the University of Wisconsin, agreed to pay a woman who said she was raped by the players on October 27, 2018, after the St. Louis Crusaders beat Punahou in the ILH championship game. The girl was 16 years old at the time. Both boys were underage, too.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the afternoon of Christmas Eve 1991, 23-year-old Dana Ireland left her parents' home in Puna for a bike ride and never returned. Good Samaritans called 911 after finding her mangled bicycle, a shoe, and clumps of hair ― but no rider. Thirty minutes later and five miles away, Ireland was found in the bushes of a fishing trail, nude from the waist down and barely conscious. She died at the hospital from blood loss and multiple traumatic injuries. A decade later, three Hawaii Island men would be convicted for her murder, the shocking details of which reverberated around the entire state. But the story doesn't end there: An exoneration based in large part on advances in DNA technology turned the Dana Ireland murder into a cold case rather than a solved one.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eloy, Arizona is in the middle of the desert ― about an hour from Phoenix. It's a sharp contrast from Hawaii. But it's where 1,000 Hawaii inmates are currently housed at Saguaro Correctional Center, a facility the state pays millions to each year to relieve overcrowding at in-state facilities. Hawaii News Now was the only television news crew allowed inside since it was built in 2007 to ease overcrowding in the islands.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newly unsealed court documents include disturbing new allegations in the murder case against Michael Miske, the businessman accused of running a criminal enterprise. Miske is accused in the kidnapping and murder of 21-year old Johnathan Fraser. The previously secret filings also link the murder case to the killing of another man, a confidential source who knew the information he provided law enforcement put him in danger.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Russian spies in Hawaii? That's the allegations from the U.S. Attorney's office.  Prosecutors say a couple from Kapolei are accused of stealing the identities of dead babies from Texas in the 1980s, and living under those names for decades.  Alongside those accusations are photos of the couple in KGB uniforms. There are doubts though about the spy claims, as the government has retracted some of it's statement about the couple's aliases and reveals new details about the evidence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can federal laws be the key to shutting down Hawaii's illegal game rooms? Homeland Security Investigations is working with police to attack crimes linked to game rooms and that are a constant source of problems for communities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After 45 years of service, John McCarthy retired from the Honolulu Police Department last year as deputy chief. In this episode of "The Other Side of Paradise," he explains the circumstances that pushed him out, his frustrations with the department, the public corruption scandal that rocked the department and how all that affects the rank and file.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Juan Tejedor Baron has been extradited back to Hawaii to face charges that he murdered an elderly Hawaii Loa Ridge man and then encased his body in concrete in his own bathtub. The case has shocked the wealthy community, and experts say there are certain to be more twists and turns in the case.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the capture Wednesday of the two Hawaii Loa Ridge murder suspects, authorities are turning their attention to the investigation ― and a possible motive.Scott Hannon, 34, and Juan Tejedor Baron, 23, were nabbed in the Los Angeles area following an intense manhunt. They’re suspected in the grisly murder of an East Honolulu man, whose body was found encased in concrete in the bathtub of his multi-million-dollar home in a gated community.To better understand all the dizzying details of the case, HNN’s Digital Desk sat down with investigative reporter Lynn Kawano to piece together the timeline so far and understand what’s next.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three former city executives are preparing for trial after being indicted for conspiracy. The three all had a hand in the $250,000 payoff of ex-Police Chief Louis Kealoha, who is now serving time in federal prison. The only police commissioner who was against that payoff has a message: "This didn't have to happen."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first book is out about the largest public corruption scandal in state history. It's called "The Mailbox Conspiracy" and is written by the man who uncovered the Kealohas' crimes. In this episode of "The Other Side of Paradise," HNN's investigative reporter Lynn Kawano sits down with former federal public defender Alexander Silvert to talk about the Kealoha scandal and what he hopes Hawaii will learn from it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Isabella "Ariel" Kalua murder case has shocked Oahu. Prosecutors say the 6-year-old was tortured and murdered by her adoptive parents, Isaac and Lehua Kalua, who reported her missing in September. The two face an enhanced sentence of life behind bars without the possibility of parole, but experts note there are host of difficulties with the case. The biggest one: Investigators have not found Isabella's remains.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why is it taking so long for federal prosecutors to move forward with the case against former city Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro? In this episode, HNN's Lynn Kawano breaks down one of the many topics that investigators are zeroing in on. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Drug use is changing in Hawaii. Deals aren’t just hand-to-hand transactions in the shadows anymore. More powerful drugs are instead being purchased online ― oftentimes on social media ― and sent directly to homes. And too often, people are getting much more than they asked for. Fentanyl is showing up everywhere, a way to get people hooked more quickly and keep them coming back.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A battle is brewing within the Honolulu Police Department as members of the rank-and-file push back against one of their leaders, accusing him of retaliation, sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment. Acting Assistant Chief Stephen Gerona is one of the highest ranking officers in the department and his promotions have come despite dozens of complaints and lawsuits that have already cost taxpayers 1.6 million dollars. He was named in those lawsuits against the department. And there is another pending lawsuit filed by HPD detective, Maile Rego. In episode 11 of "The Other Side of Paradise," the 16-year police veteran speaks to HNN's Lynn Kawano about why she had no other choice but to turn to the courts for justice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roynes Dural was serving in the Navy, deployed to the Persian Gulf, when accusations of child sex assault were made against him. When he returned to Pearl Harbor in 2002, HPD detectives arrested him and he was subsequently convicted. He spent eight years in prison and eight more on parole. But in 2019, the conviction was overturned -- all charges dismissed -- not because of a technicality but because he didn't do it. While his court record has been cleared, he is still working to clear the mess left behind. In this episode of "The Other Side of Paradise," Dural talks to HNN's Lynn Kawano about his long journey to prove his innocence and be made whole again.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A wrongful arrest landed a homeless man in the state mental hospital for more than two and a half years. Joshua Spriestersbach, 50, was homeless and sleeping outside Safe Haven in Chinatown when he was suddenly arrested by police officers. They believed he was Thomas Castleberry, a convicted drug user, car thief and burglar. Despite telling officials multiple times that he wasn't Castleberry, Spriestersbach was instead jailed, then sent to the Hawaii State Hospital, where he was forced to take medication he didn't need.It's a story of mistakes, apparently by so many people at so many levels. In episode 9 of “The Other Side of Paradise,” HNN investigative reporter Lynn Kawano talks to Spriestersbach's sister Vedanta Griffith about her efforts to get answers. Plus, we talk to the co-director of the Hawaii Innocence Project, Ken Lawson, who explains why he believes the state tried to cover-up the mistake.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The sex abuse scandal that rocked Kamehameha Schools is growing as more graduates come forward to say they were victims. Many of them were abused for years by psychiatrist Dr. Robert Browne, who saw students from the 1950s to the 1980s. In episode 7 of “The Other Side of Paradise,” HNN investigative reporter Lynn Kawano discusses the $80 million settlement for 32 victims reached in 2017, the dozens more victims who have come forward, and what's next in one of Hawaii's most high-profile sex abuse cases.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been nearly 40 years since Lisa Au was murdered, in a crime that rattled Oahu for years. The 19-year-old Kailua hairdresser's body was found in a ravine on Tantalus in January 1982. And a policeman was long suspected in the crime. In episode 7 of “The Other Side of Paradise,” HNN investigative reporter Lynn Kawano reviews the early missteps in the investigation, and talks to Au's younger sister about her ongoing quest for the truth.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode 6 of "The Other Side of Paradise," HNN investigative reporter Lynn Kawano revisits the devastating case of "Peter Boy" Kema, the Big Island 6-year-old who was tortured by his parents, resulting in his death. Now his siblings are suing for what they witnessed and endured, but the state is putting up roadblocks that are threatening to push back the case for years.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode 5 of "The Other Side of Paradise," HNN investigative reporter Lynn Kawano sits down with longtime Hawaii journalist Daryl Huff to talk about admitted killer Randall Saito. Saito was acquitted by reason of insanity for the gruesome 1979 killing of 29-year-old Sandra Yamashiro at Ala Moana Center. He was committed to the Hawaii State Hospital in 1981 after experts diagnosed him with necrophilia, even while others said he was fit to stand trial. Questions still remain about how he was able to avoid the murder conviction. And all those questions were unearthed again in 2017, when he escaped from Hawaii State Hospital and flew to California. He was caught again, but it's unlikely we've heard the last of him.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode 4 of "The Other Side of Paradise," HNN investigative reporter Lynn Kawano continues her conversation with attorney Alexander Silvert, who helped unearth the Kealoha mailbox conspiracy — the largest public corruption scandal to rock Hawaii's law enforcement community. Silvert talks about what Honolulu's former police chief and several of his officers can expect when they report to federal prison in June, and what security concerns they might encounter there.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode 3 of "The Other Side of Paradise," HNN investigative reporter Lynn Kawano is joined by attorney Alexander Silvert to discuss the case that made him a household name, the Kealoha's mailbox. It's well-know that Honolulu's corrupt ex-police chief and his wife, a deputy city prosecutor, staged a crime to frame a relative. But what we don't know much about is how Silvert was able to uncover all that ― and his struggle to convince others.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode 2 of "The Other Side of Paradise," Hawaii News Now investigative reporter Lynn Kawano continues her conversation with Hawaii Innocence Project co-director Ken Lawson. The former high-profile attorney talks about how he finally hit rock bottom, his time in a federal prison, and how he started rebuilding his life -- one relationship mended and goal met at a time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ken Lawson, co-director of the Hawaii Innocence Project, has tasted success and its bitter twin failure. He's known more than his fair share of grief and hardship. And it took hitting rock bottom to help him see what he needed in life was right in front of him the whole time. Join Hawaii News Now investigative reporter Lynn Kawano as she explores the twists and turns of Lawson's young life, including his journey to becoming one of the nation's top lawyers and his descent into a years-long struggle with drugs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crime, corruption, scandal... You won't find it in the travel brochures or on the postcards, but there is an underworld in Hawaii. In this podcast from Hawaii News Now Chief Investigative Reporter Lynn Kawano, we delve into the seedy issues of the political world and the headlines that the visitor bureaus don't always advertise.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.