DNA revelation: new suspect named in Hawaii 1991 murder of Dana Ireland

Local

Hawaii Island police have named a suspect in the 1991 attack on Dana Ireland using DNA technology, bringing closure to a case more than three decades old.

September 06, 2024

Sirisha Dinavahi - LA Post

HILO, Hawaii - Hawaii Island police have named a suspect in the 1991 attack on Dana Ireland using DNA technology, bringing closure to a case more than three decades old. Albert Lauro Jr., 57, of Hawaiian Paradise Park, was identified as the suspect through advanced DNA technology, according to Hawaii County Police Chief Benjamin Moszkowicz. Lauro, who would have been 25 at the time of the crime, died by suicide before he could be arrested, Moszkowicz said. Ireland, 23, was kidnapped, raped, and beaten on Christmas Eve 1991. She was found on a fishing trail and died the following day from blood loss. The breakthrough came after investigators sent DNA samples to Indago Solutions, a California-based lab. Steve Kramer, known for his work on the Golden State Killer case, used forensic genealogy to identify Lauro as a potential suspect in February. "He was able to go back to records, back to the 1700s here in Hawaii," said Ken Lawson of the Hawaii Innocence Project, which worked with law enforcement on the case. FBI agents and Hawaii County police officers began surveillance on Lauro last month. They obtained a DNA sample from a discarded fork, which matched evidence from the crime scene. A subsequent cheek swab, collected with a search warrant on July 19, confirmed the match. Lauro was found dead in his home days after the cheek swab was taken, in what authorities described as an apparent suicide. The case gained renewed attention when Albert Ian Schweitzer, who spent 23 years in prison for Ireland's murder, had his conviction vacated in Jan. 2023. His brother, Shawn Schweitzer, also had his conviction overturned in October 2023. A third man, Frank Pauline, died in prison while serving time for the murder. "He didn't spend a day in jail," Lawson said of Lauro, adding that the suspect "took the easy way out" after attacking Ireland and allowing others to go to prison. The Hawaii Innocence Project and New York Innocence Project represented the Schweitzer brothers in their appeals. Chief Moszkowicz stated that the investigation remains active. A hearing has been scheduled to address the most recent developments in the case.

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