Loida Wideman, a dedicated 39-year-old mother of three, was last seen on the evening of Mother's Day, May 13, 2012. She left her residence in Waipahu, Honolulu, Hawaii, around 9:30 p.m., intending to drive to her job as a nurse's aide at a care home. Loida, described by those who knew her as a responsible and reliable individual, got into her gold 2003 Saturn Ion and drove off, but she never arrived for her shift at work and was not heard from again.
Her disappearance was uncharacteristic and immediately raised concern among her family and friends, as she would not have left her three sons without any warning. She lived with her children and her mother at the time of her disappearance.
The initial days following Loida's disappearance yielded a significant but troubling discovery. Four days after she was last seen, her Saturn Ion was found abandoned on Lehua Avenue near First Street in Pearl City, several miles from her home. The location of the car was not on her route to work. Investigators brought in a bloodhound, which reportedly traced her scent from the vehicle down a frequently used bike path leading to a group of dumpsters. A subsequent search of the dumpsters and the surrounding area, however, turned up no evidence connected to her whereabouts. In the weeks that followed, community volunteers organized searches along the Pearl Harbor Bike Path, looking for any sign of the missing mother, but their efforts did not lead to a breakthrough in the case. There has been no activity on her credit cards or cell phone since the night she vanished.
Attention in the investigation turned towards Loida's ex-husband, Lonnell Reginald Wideman, with whom she had divorced in 2008, gaining custody of their children. Lonnell had a criminal history that included a conviction for attempted murder in the 1980s. He was questioned by police regarding his ex-wife's disappearance and was arrested five days after she went missing for parole violations. Despite his past and the timing of his arrest, authorities have not named him a suspect in Loida's case. Loida's case is considered suspicious, and with no evidence of her having left the state of Hawaii, her disappearance remains a painful mystery for her loved ones. Born in the Philippines, Loida was a woman of Filipino descent with black hair and brown eyes. After years with no new leads or information, Loida Wideman was legally declared dead in 2020. The case remains an unsolved and heart-wrenching puzzle, an overview marked by a loving mother's inexplicable absence, a discovered but empty vehicle, and a family left without answers.Last Seen: May 13, 2012
