Beneath the Palms: Hawaii's True Crime, Mysteries & Untold History

Beneath the Palms explores Hawaii’s true crime cases, unsolved mysteries, disappearances, historical injustices, and stories too often left in the shadows. From cold cases and notorious crimes to forgotten events that shaped the islands, each episode looks beyond paradise to the people, places, and truths still waiting to be remembered.🎧 New episodes every Tuesday at 5AM HST.Darkness may linger beneath the palms, but so does hope.

Beneath the Palms: Hawaii's True Crime, Mysteries & Untold History is a true crime podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 73 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Beneath the Palms: Hawaii's True Crime, Mysteries & Untold History, a true crime show with 73 episodes published.

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  Beneath the Palms: Hawaii's True Crime, Mysteries & Untold History

  Gill Jamieson Murder: Myles Fukunaga, the 1928 Punahou Kidnapping, Race and Hawaii’s Death Penalty

  Sep 15, 202640 minS2

  Gill Jamieson. Myles Fukunaga. Punahou. Honolulu, 1928. A ten-year-old boy leaves school after being told his mother has been hurt. He never comes home. Gill Jamieson was more than the child at the center of one of Hawaii’s most disturbing early true crime cases. He traveled with his father, went to birthday parties, learned piano, and had a life that should have stretched far beyond September 18, 1928. Instead, 19-year-old Myles Fukunaga took him from Punahou, killed him, demanded ransom from his family, and confessed after investigators traced the money back to him. But the case did not end with the confession. Fukunaga’s rapid trial, questions about his mental condition, the racial climate of territorial Hawaii, the response of Hawaii’s Japanese community, his appeals, and his 1929 execution turned Gill’s murder into a debate about guilt, due process, race, mental illness, and capital punishment. This episode of Beneath the Palms goes back before the headlines to restore Gill as a child first, while following the full case from kidnapping and investigation through trial, execution, and the questions that remain nearly a century later. Sources and further reading: Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Honolulu Advertiser and Hawaii Tribune-Herald historical coverage via Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/ Fukunaga v. Territory of Hawaii, 33 F.2d 396 (9th Cir. 1929) https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/33/396/1497158/ Raced to Death in 1920s Hawaii: Injustice and Revenge in the Fukunaga Case, Jonathan Y. Okamura https://academic.oup.com/illinois-scholarship-online/book/33883 Fukunaga case, Densho Encyclopedia https://encyclopedia.densho.org/Fukunaga%20case Myles Fukunaga: Racism in Hawaii, Then and Now, Hawaii Public Radio https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/arts-culture/2019-10-08/myles-fukunaga-racism-in-hawaii-then-and-now Poor Innocent Lad: The Tragic Death of Gill Jamieson and the Execution of Myles Fukunaga, Mike Farris https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Poor-Innocent-Lad/Mike-Farris/9781949135015 Hawaii State Archives https://ags.hawaii.gov/archives/ Preservation Month: Iconic Oahu Cemetery Celebrates its 175th Anniversary, Historic Hawaii Foundation https://historichawaii.org/article/preservation-month-iconic-o%CA%BBahu-cemetery-celebrates-its-175th-anniversary-this-august/ Moiliili Japanese Cemetery, Historic Hawaii Foundation https://historichawaii.org/historic-property-oa/moiliili-japanese-cemetery/ Listener discretion: This episode discusses the kidnapping and murder of a child, suicide and mental-health concerns, racial prejudice, capital punishment, and execution. #GillJamieson #MylesFukunaga #HawaiiTrueCrime #Punahou #TrueCrimeHistory

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  Beneath the Palms: Hawaii's True Crime, Mysteries & Untold History

  Simon Owen Disappearance: The Missing Hawaii Hiker Who Vanished at Manoa Falls

  Sep 8, 202640 minS2

  Simon Owen was 21 when he vanished near the Manoa Falls Trail on Oahu in June 1994. He had survived a broken neck, rebuilt his future, traveled through the Amazon and Europe, and come to Hawaii for a summer of work and adventure. Then his bicycle was found locked near the trail entrance, but Simon was nowhere to be found. This episode of Beneath the Palms follows the disappearance of Simon Owen, the young Texas Wesleyan University student who worked at Chili's in Waikiki and spent his free time exploring the island. Coworkers noticed when he missed work. His room was undisturbed, his money and personal belongings were left behind, and everything suggested he expected to return. Police officers, firefighters, volunteers, Army soldiers, Marines, climbers, helicopter crews, and dozens of Simon's coworkers searched Manoa Valley. His mother, Mitzi Lockett, flew from Texas, moved into his rented room, and helped lead searches for months. On the birthday she shared with her son, she carried two leis to the base of the falls. One was for her. The other was for Simon. Police have long believed Simon may have left the maintained trail and fallen into steep terrain hidden beneath the valley's dense canopy. No physical evidence has ever proven that theory. More than three decades later, he remains missing. This is not only the story of a missing Hawaii hiker. It is the story of a son, student, traveler, coworker, friend, and survivor whose family and classmates have never allowed the mystery to become his entire identity. If you have information about Simon Owen or remember seeing him around Waikiki or Manoa in late June 1994, contact the Honolulu Police Department. Sources Lack of Evidence Makes Solving Cases Difficult https://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2003/Apr/14/ln/ln12a.html Simon Owen https://charleyproject.org/case/simon-owen Missing: Simon Owen | Honolulu, HI https://uncovered.com/cases/simon-owen Police Recognize Top Officers of Year https://archives.starbulletin.com/2005/05/19/news/index8.html Simon Owen Memorial Scholarship https://www.gofundme.com/f/simon-owen-memorial-scholarship Remote Viewing Newsletter: Simon Owen https://hrvg.org/newsletter/2002-09/feature.html Contemporary Newspaper Archive: Simon Owen Coverage, 1994 to 1996 https://www.newspapers.com/ Research, writing, and production by Aku Bone Media. Narration by Jubilee Lum. Closing music, "Broken Wings," courtesy of Yoza. #SimonOwen #MissingPerson #ManoaFalls #HawaiiTrueCrime #BeneathThePalms

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  Beneath the Palms: Hawaii's True Crime, Mysteries & Untold History

  The Palmyra Atoll Murders: Mac and Muff Graham, the Stolen Sea Wind and Two Different Verdicts

  Sep 1, 202643 minS2

  The Palmyra Atoll Murders began as an adventure. In 1974, experienced sailors Malcolm “Mac” Graham and Eleanor “Muff” Graham reached remote Palmyra Atoll aboard their yacht, Sea Wind , expecting months of isolation in the Pacific. Instead, they vanished. Months later, the Sea Wind appeared in Hawaii with Buck Duane Walker and Stephanie Stearns aboard. The yacht had been altered and renamed, while Mac and Muff were nowhere to be found. Years later, Muff’s remains were discovered on Palmyra, leading to separate federal murder trials. Walker was convicted of Muff’s premeditated murder and sentenced to life. Stearns was tried separately and acquitted. Mac has never been found. This episode of Beneath the Palms independently rebuilds the Palmyra Atoll murders from contemporary Hawaii and mainland reporting, federal court records, and later reporting. It also examines how And the Sea Will Tell , written by Stearns’ defense attorney Vincent Bugliosi with Bruce Henderson, shaped the version of this case most people know today. This episode is dedicated to Ricky Griggs, with gratitude and respect for the work he gave to the Palmyra case. Thank you to Yoza for “Broken Wings.” Sources United States v. Stephanie K. Stearns, 550 F.2d 1167 https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/550/1167/309429/ United States v. Stearns and Walker, 707 F.2d 391 https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/707/391/230118/ United States v. Walker, 546 F. Supp. 805 https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/546/805/1870478/ Despite Guilty Verdict, Mystery of Palmyra Lingers On https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-06-12-me-6125-story.html Walker Gets Life Sentence for Murder of S.D. Woman https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-06-29-me-9816-story.html Woman Acquitted in Island Slaying https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-03-02-me-1487-story.html 1974 Murder Victim Still Awaits Burial https://www.cruisingworld.com/1974-murder-victim-still-awaits-burial/ Newspapers.com archive: Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Honolulu Advertiser, Hawaii Tribune-Herald, Connecticut Post, AP and UPI coverage https://www.newspapers.com/ And the Sea Will Tell by Vincent Bugliosi and Bruce Henderson https://brucehendersonbooks.com/books/and-the-sea-will-tell/ #PalmyraAtoll #HawaiiTrueCrime #TrueCrime #MacAndMuffGraham #AndTheSeaWillTell

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  Episode #56

  Lisa Bissell Murder (Kauai) — Polihale Road Cold Case and the West Kauai Attacks (April 7, 2000)

  Aug 25, 202625 minS2

  Lisa Bissell was 38 when she was found on April 7, 2000—stabbed in a ditch off a roadway leading toward Polihale on Kauai. This episode follows the documented timeline that’s publicly available, then widens to the 2000 West Kauai violence cluster discussed in reporting, including the Kekaha attempted sexual assault where a surviving victim helped generate a composite sketch, and the later homicide near Pakala Beach that intensified public concern and investigative scrutiny. This episode contains factual reporting on a homicide and an unresolved investigation. Some details may be disturbing. What follows is reconstructed from documented reporting and attributed official statements described in those reports, available at the time of release; some details may change as new information emerges. A clearly labeled Speculation Lane appears later, separate from the verified timeline. Listener discretion is advised. If you have information related to this case, you can contact the Kauai County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney’s cold case line and investigators as listed on their official cold case page. Sources: Kauai County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney — Cold Case: “2000 – Lisa Bissell” (official case summary and tip contact info) Honolulu Star-Bulletin — “Kauai may have a serial killer” (Sept. 1, 2000) Honolulu Star-Bulletin — “Kauai’s unsolved slayings have police on the defensive” (Oct. 28, 2000) Los Angeles Times — “Kauai Killings Remind Women That Avoiding Danger Is Up to Them” (Apr. 29, 2001) #BeneathThePalms #TrueCrimePodcast #Kauai #Polihale #WestKauai #ColdCase #UnsolvedMurder #HawaiiTrueCrime #KauaiPolice #MissingAndMurdered #JusticeForLisaBissell #IslandCrime #HawaiiPodcast

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  Beneath the Palms: Hawaii's True Crime, Mysteries & Untold History

  The Cliff, the Syringes, and the Surgeon | Hawaii Doctor Gerhardt Konig and Arielle Konig’s Pali Puka Trail Attack

  Aug 18, 202643 min

  The Cliff, the Syringes, and the Surgeon | Revisited On March 24, 2025, Arielle Konig went hiking above Nuʻuanu with her husband, Maui anesthesiologist Gerhardt Konig. What began as a birthday trip ended with Arielle severely injured on the Pali Puka Trail, two hikers moving toward her screams, and an all-day search that ended with her husband’s arrest. This fully rewritten episode follows the marriage before the trail, Arielle’s account of being forced toward the cliff, the alleged syringe, the rock attack, her rescue, the investigation, divorce proceedings, and the 2026 trial. Gerhardt admitted striking his wife with the rock but denied trying to inject her or push her over the edge. A jury rejected attempted murder and convicted him of attempted manslaughter based on extreme mental or emotional disturbance. The case is not legally finished. His attorneys have asked the court to overturn the conviction and order a new trial, citing jurors’ public comments and an unverified claim involving the trial livestream. As of this episode’s recording, he remains convicted and in custody, but has not been sentenced. This story centers Arielle not as courtroom evidence, but as a mother, engineer, working professional, and survivor. It also remembers the two strangers who heard a voice in danger and chose to walk toward it. Listener discretion: This episode contains descriptions of domestic violence, attempted killing, severe physical assault, suicidal statements, and allegations involving medical equipment. Sources Maui woman details alleged attack by husband on Oahu hiking trail Grand jury indicts Maui doctor for allegedly trying to kill wife on trail Gerhardt Konig News Updates and Trial Coverage Hawaii doctor’s son says father confessed he “tried to kill” wife Jury begins deliberations in trial over Maui doctor accused of trying to kill wife Doctor accused of trying to kill wife on hike found guilty Hawaii doctor accused of trying to kill his wife convicted of attempted manslaughter Honolulu Star-Advertiser coverage: March 25, 27, 28, 29 and April 1, 2025; May 27, 2025; March 20, 25, 26, April 9 and May 23, 2026 Help Arielle Konig Heal After Tragic Incident Music: “Broken Wings” by Yoza. #GerhardtKonig #ArielleKonig #HawaiiTrueCrime #PaliPukaTrail #BeneathThePalms

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