Crime Solvers Central
Crime Solvers Central
298 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.
John Lucas missing person case profile photo

John Lucas Missing Person Case

Last seen in Kaneohe, Hawaii on Dec 28, 2001

Victim Details

Jun 14, 2018

Aug 12, 2020

John

Lucas

61

37

70 inches

150 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

Dec 28, 2001

Kaneohe

Hawaii

Honolulu County

96744

No

66428

Honolulu Police Department

Honolulu

Hawaii

Honolulu County

96813

Michael Garcia

Detective

801 South Beretania Street, Hawaii

8085293111

Local

Law Enforcement

http://www.honolulupd.org

02-002391

Jan 2, 2002

Honolulu Police Department

na

Brown

Brown

Brown

Oct 5, 2026


Area Last Seen:

Case Description

Any updates on this case? Let us know!
Summary based on the NamUs case record (MP50621) and 6 other sources
John Robert Lucas was 37 years old when he disappeared from the windward side of Oahu in late 2001. He was described in public reports as a Kailua man and an engineer, standing about 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing around 150 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. On the day he was last known to have contact, he left his Kaneohe residence in his vehicle. That evening, the case moved from an ordinary missing-person report into something far more troubling when his 1997 green two-door Camaro was involved in a crash on Pali Highway while traveling toward Kailua, about 300 feet west of the junction with Kamehameha Highway.

The crash did not bring immediate answers. Before police arrived, Lucas left the accident scene on foot. Witnesses later reported that he went into the brush along Pali Highway, an area that can be difficult to search and unforgiving to anyone injured, disoriented, or in distress. He was reportedly wearing a green-brown aloha shirt and tan slacks. In the first public appeal, police asked for help finding him, while his wife, Elke, said she had spoken with him by telephone after the crash and that he told her he was okay. According to that report, it was the last time she heard from him.

The following day brought one of the few known physical traces connected to John: his wallet and Hawaii state identification card were found nearby, at the intersection of Auloa and Maunawili roads. The discovery suggested he had moved away from the crash scene or that some of his belongings had ended up there, but it did not explain where he went afterward. Police said there had been no activity on his bank accounts, and a helicopter search of the crash area did not locate him. An investigator also stated at the time that there was no evidence of foul play, but that authorities were concerned because no one had heard from him.

Public missing-person listings have continued to carry John’s case forward, identifying him as John Lucas, missing from Kaneohe, Hawaii, since December 28, 2001, at age 37, under NamUs number MP50621. The available public summary repeats the core facts: he was last seen leaving his Kaneohe residence in his vehicle, later became involved in a motor vehicle collision on Pali Highway near Kamehameha Highway, fled on foot before police arrived, and was reportedly seen going into the brush along the highway. He has not been seen or heard from since.

The case remains a painful and unresolved disappearance shaped by a narrow window of time: a man leaves home, crashes while heading toward Kailua, speaks once by phone, disappears into the brush before officers arrive, and leaves behind only scattered clues. For those who loved John, the absence of answers has meant years of uncertainty rather than closure. The overview of the case is that John Robert Lucas, a 37-year-old man from the Kaneohe/Kailua area, vanished after a vehicle crash on Pali Highway near Kamehameha Highway; his wallet and identification were later found nearby, no confirmed trace of him has publicly resolved the case, and the available online record still centers on finding out what happened after he left the crash scene.
Last Seen: Dec 28, 2001

Links to Additional Sources (6)

See any mistakes? Let us know!
  • Missing Person / NamUs
  • John Lucas - Facebook
  • John D. Lucas - Unaccounted For - Missing Marines
  • U.S. Missing Persons - Doe Network
  • Eight years of Dateline's Missing in America: 169 still missing
  • HI- John Robert Lucas, 37, Kaneohe, 28 Dec 2001 | Websleuths

    • Possible Unidentified Matches (1)

    Unidentified remains cases whose details are consistent with this person, ranked by how closely they compare. Fields that are unknown in either case are left out of the score.

    77%Possible
    John Doe — Honolulu, Hawaii - unidentified case UP15422
    John Doe — Honolulu, Hawaii
    UP15422 • Found Jun 8, 2016
    View case
    Sex ✓Male
    Age 85%Est. 30–49 vs 37 when missing
    Race 100%White
    Location 100%9 mi away, same county
    TimingFound 14 years after last seen
    Height 68%6'1" vs 5'10"
    Weight 100%165 lb vs 150 lb
    Hair 60%Black vs Brown
    Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown

    These comparisons are generated automatically from public NamUs case data and are not confirmed identifications. Only DNA, dental or fingerprint comparison by investigators can confirm an identity. If you believe two cases are connected, contact the agency handling the unidentified case.

    Unidentified photos are blurred because many are post-mortem. Tap a photo to reveal it.

    Latest News

    View All

    Forum Posts (2)

    Hey everyone, I'm new here but I've been following John Lucas's case for a while, and something... ...Read More
    01/25/2024
    I’ve been following John Lucas's disappearance for a while and something that always stands out to... ...Read More
    08/21/2023

    Other Missing Cases from Kaneohe, Hawaii

    Moses Kahiapo missing person case in Kaneohe, Hawaii

    Moses Kahiapo

    Missing: Aug 16, 1972
    On a summer day in 1972, 42-year-old Moses Kahiapo and his friend, Arthur Allen, embarked on a ...Read More
    David Porter missing person case in Kaneohe, Hawaii

    David Porter

    Missing: Nov 3, 1976
    In the late afternoon of November 3, 1976, 23-year-old David Porter was seen for the last time at ...Read More
    Arthur Allen missing person case in Kaneohe, Hawaii

    Arthur Allen

    Missing: Aug 16, 1972
    In the late summer of 1972, a fishing trip off the coast of Kaneohe, Hawaii, ended in mystery for ...Read More
    Lawrence Koscho missing person case in Kaneohe, Hawaii

    Lawrence Koscho

    Missing: Jan 1, 2000
    In the quiet community of Kaneohe, Hawaii, a man named Lawrence Koscho seemingly vanished, leaving ...Read More
    Richard Shiroma missing person case in Kaneohe, Hawaii

    Richard Shiroma

    Missing: Jun 16, 2004
    Richard Yoshio Shiroma was a 60-year-old Asian male from Kaneohe, Hawaii, who was last seen or last ...Read More
    Rick Calhau missing person case in Kaneohe, Hawaii

    Rick Calhau

    Missing: Nov 18, 1996
    On the evening of November 18, 1996, in Kaneohe, Hawaii, 29-year-old Rick Calhau, a male of Asian ...Read More