Steven Branston Missing Person Case

Jan 01, 2010

Jul 07, 2023

Steven

Branston

49

20

72 inches

73 inches

170 lbs

180 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

In the summer of 1996, twenty-year-old Steven Branston, a resident of Lakeport, California, made a decision that would leave his family searching for answers for decades to come. While his parents were away on vacation, Steven left them a note explaining his intention to travel to Hawaii. He arrived in Honolulu on August 5, 1996, seemingly embarking on a new chapter of his life. Diagnosed with schizophrenia and experiencing depression, his family was concerned he might be suicidal, a fear heightened by a conversation he had with his sister about the idea of going to Hawaii to die. In his teenage years, Steven had faced challenges, including difficulties in school and struggles with drug use. Despite these struggles, he was under the care of a psychiatrist and was prescribed medication for his condition, though it is believed he stopped taking it before his disappearance. Upon his arrival in Honolulu, Steven took steps that suggested an attempt to establish a new life. He was reportedly homeless and living in the vicinity of the Honolulu Airport. He opened a bank account and made arrangements for his Social Security payments to be deposited there. Additionally, he rented a storage locker where he kept personal belongings, including his identification and medication. His Social Security checks for August and September were deposited into his new account, but no withdrawals were ever made. The last potential interaction with him was in October 1996, when a bank teller in Kaunakakai believed they saw Steven attempting to cash a check, but he was unable to do so without any identification. His parents officially reported him missing on October 5, 1996. The storage facility contacted his parents the following month when he failed to make payments for his locker. The search for Steven Branston has been a long and heart-wrenching journey for his family and law enforcement in both California and Hawaii. His parents diligently monitored his bank account for at least a year after he vanished, but it remained untouched. Over the years, there were several unconfirmed sightings of Steven on the islands of Oahu, Molokai, and Kauai up until June of 1997, but none of these leads resulted in finding him. The investigation into his disappearance is a collaborative effort between the Lakeport Police Department and the Honolulu Police Department. At the time he went missing, Steven was described as being six feet tall and weighing around 170 pounds, with long brown hair often worn in a ponytail, and blue eyes. He may have had a mustache or a beard. The case of Steven Branston remains an active and unresolved missing person investigation, a painful testament to the enduring uncertainty faced by the loved ones of the missing.

Aug 05, 1996

Honolulu

Hawaii

Honolulu County

96819

No

20849

Honolulu Police Department

Honolulu

Hawaii

Honolulu County

96813

Michael Garcia

Detective

801 South Beretania Street, Hawaii

8085293111

Local

Law Enforcement

http://www.honolulupd.org

96-385578

1996-10-05

Honolulu Police Department

Brown

Blue

Blue

07/09/2026