On the night of May 29, 1985, 25-year-old female victim Vicki Gail Purdy, a Caucasian woman originally from North Carolina, went out for an evening of clubbing in the Waikīkī district of Honolulu, Hawaii. She was married to Gary Purdy, a U.S. Army helicopter pilot stationed in Hawaii. Vicki had been living on Oʻahu for about 16 months and worked at a video rental store that also dealt in adult material.
Described by friends and family as feisty and strong-willed, Vicki had a reputation for being streetwise and physically capable. Her husband later remarked that it would have taken more than one person to overpower her.
That night, Vicki was last seen by a taxi driver who dropped her off at the Shorebird Hotel around midnight, where she intended to retrieve her car. Her vehicle was later found in the hotel parking lot with a fresh dent, suggesting a recent minor collision. When she failed to return home, her husband attempted to reach her through a paging system but received no response. The following morning, May 30, 1985, the body of 25-year-old Caucasian female Vicki Gail Purdy was discovered on an embankment near Keehi Lagoon, a location not far from the hotel. She was still wearing the yellow jumpsuit from the night before, but her underwear and shoes were missing. Her hands had been bound behind her back with parachute cord, and she had been sexually assaulted and strangled with a ligature.
The Honolulu Police Department launched an investigation into her death, initially suspecting a possible connection to her workplace, where two women had previously been murdered. However, no direct link was established. Vicki's murder marked the beginning of a series of killings attributed to an unidentified serial killer later dubbed the 'Honolulu Strangler.' Over the following year, four more women were found murdered under similar circumstances, leading authorities to believe they were dealing with a serial offender.
Despite extensive efforts, including the formation of a 27-person task force and assistance from the FBI, no arrests were ever made in connection with the murder of 25-year-old Caucasian female Vicki Gail Purdy. One man, Howard Gay, came under suspicion after he led police to the body of another victim, claiming a psychic had told him where to look. Although he was interrogated and surveilled, there was insufficient evidence to charge him, and he was never formally arrested. Gay died in 2003, and the case remains unsolved. No other suspects have been publicly identified, and the murder of Vicki Gail Purdy continues to be part of Hawaii's most notorious cold case.
