Man's suicide finally solves horrific Christmas Eve rape and murder case that shocked Hawaii

A section man killed himself aft authorities pinned him to nan horrific execution of a 23-year-old female from Virginia that haunted nan Hawaii organization for decades. 

Dana Ireland had ventured retired for a speedy motorcycle thrust connected Christmas Eve 1991 erstwhile she was brutally beaten, raped and struck by a vehicle.

The 23-year-old - who had conscionable moved to nan Kapoho area of nan Big Island aft graduating from George Mason University - was recovered hardly clinging to life connected a sportfishing way earlier dying successful infirmary connected Christmas Day.

The lawsuit went acold for astir a decade until 2000 erstwhile 3 Hawaiian men were convicted. In 2023, damning caller grounds revealed Albert 'Ian' Schwietzer's innocence. He had already served 20 years successful situation for a crime he did not commit.

On Monday, caller DNA grounds was revealed from nan 30-year-old crime identifying Albert Lauro, Jr., 57, arsenic nan existent killer. Lauro was recovered dormant successful his flat of an evident termination only days earlier his arrest, authorities said, Fox5 Vegas reported. 

 He was 25 years aged astatine nan clip of nan murder, and had been surviving connected nan island, authorities said.

Investigators collected DNA from seven abstracted samples. The samples included semen that was recovered connected nan victim's assemblage and connected her clothes, and sweat and tegument from a t-shirt were each tested. 

They concluded that each nan tests matched Lauro's DNA.

The Hawaii Innocence Project worked pinch rule enforcement and Steve Kramer of Indago Solutions connected Ireland's case. 

Ken Lawson of nan Hawaii Innocence Project said Kramer- nan personification who helped place nan Golden State Killer - utilized forensic genealogy testing.

'He was capable to spell backmost to records, backmost to nan 1700s present successful Hawaii,' Lawson told nan news outlet.

In February, Kramer's tedious investigation was capable to norm retired Lauro arsenic nan only imaginable fishy successful Ireland's murder. Those results still had to beryllium sent to nan FBI. 

The FBI successful collaboration pinch the Hawaii County constabulary started surveillance connected Lauro.

Last month, they were capable to cod a fork he had utilized that was thrown retired successful a nationalist dispenser. The fork was past sent to nan laboratory for much testing, and came backmost arsenic a lucifer to 'unknown antheral #1,' that they had been searching for. 

After nan bombshell discovery, constabulary conducted a hunt warrant for a feature swab connected Lauro taken July 19 which confirmed little than 48 hours that his was a match.

The statute of limitations had expired for rape, but it had not for murder.

Lauro, who suspected constabulary were closing successful connected him, was later recovered dormant successful his location from an evident suicide.  

In a property convention Monday, Police Chief Ben Moszkowicz said nan buccal swab yet confirmed that nan DNA collected astatine nan segment of Ireland's execution matched Lauro, The Independent reported. 

He said location was not capable probable origin astatine nan clip to apprehension Lauro and defended nan police's determination not to apprehension him connected nan time nan feature swab was retrieved.

'We felt past and proceed to consciousness that nan beingness of Lauro's DNA astatine nan crime segment was successful and of itself not capable grounds to beryllium that Lauro intentionally aliases knowingly caused her death,' Moszkowicz said connected Monday.

The Hawaii and New York Innocence Projects represented nan Schweitzer brothers. Lawson said Lauro ' took nan easy measurement out. He didn't walk a time successful jail,' he said, successful part.

Attorney's for nan Hawaii Innocence Project – which helped exonerate Schweitzer past year– person called for a national investigation into why constabulary did not apprehension Lauro, nan Associated Press reported.

Moszkowicz said they will proceed to analyse Ireland's execution and are looking into Lauro's cellphone and scheme to speak to his family and friends from 1991, nan twelvemonth of Ireland's murder.

'We stay focused connected Dana Ireland, a young female who was brutally murdered. There is still a batch astir this lawsuit that we do not know, and our investigation into this lawsuit continues to push forward,' Moszkowicz said.

He added: 'Our hunt for nan truth is not over.'

Ireland was readying to go a beingness therapist. 

On nan time of her execution she was inviting a friend from nan land to a Christmas statement her family was having. 

At nan clip of nan sadistic murder, a family friend told nan Honolulu Star-Advertiser that Dana 'suffered but she fought for illustration hellhole to enactment alive,' SF Gate reported.

She added, 'they took a cleanable point and wholly destroyed it physically. Everything.'

In 2000, Frank Pauline Jr, and brothers Shawn and Albert 'Ian' Schweitzer were sentenced successful nan execution of Ireland. 

Albert Schweitzer, who was facing a 130-year situation sentence, was nan past of nan trio to spot state that took spot successful January 2023. His condemnation was vacated that year.

In 2015, Pauline was killed successful situation by a chap inmate. In 2016, his relative took a plea woody and released from situation aft 1 year. In October 2023, his condemnation was vacated.

According to a report, DNA grounds that was antecedently submitted successful nan lawsuit belonged to an chartless man, but each 3 of nan convicted men were excluded arsenic sources. 

Lawson told nan news outlet, nan Schweitzer brothers 'are happy that this personification was yet caught,' and added 'they're disappointed successful nan measurement it happened.'