Leilani Kim

In the summer of 1978, Leilani Kim was embarking on a new chapter of her life. A 44-year-old mother of three, she had recently divorced her husband, John Sayin Kim, and relocated from Hilo to the sunny, lava-strewn coast of Kailua-Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii. Known as an outgoing and successful businesswoman, Leilani was starting over with a promising new job and a future full of potential. Her friends and family knew her as a dynamic presence, a woman who had previously owned her own jewelry store in the Hilo Mall and had been a top sales agent for an insurance company. This new beginning was a testament to her resilient and determined spirit.

Just two weeks into her fresh start, Leilani was in training to become the assistant front desk manager at the iconic Kona Hilton Hotel, now known as the Royal Kona Resort. While she still maintained her residence in Hilo, she stayed at the hotel during her work week. The days leading up to her death were filled with familiar island life; she had just attended her high school reunion, reconnecting with old friends. On the night of July 31, 1978, she finished her shift at the hotel and was last seen alive at approximately 11:00 p.m. It was the last time anyone would see her.

The following day, August 1, 1978, Leilani failed to show up for her shift. Concerned for her well-being, hotel staff went to check on her in her room. There, they made a devastating discovery. Leilani Kim was found murdered in the room's bathtub. The vibrant life of the mother and businesswoman had been violently extinguished, leaving her family and the tight-knit island community in a state of shock and profound grief. The idyllic setting of the Kona coast became the backdrop for a crime that would remain a dark mystery for decades.

The Hawaii Police Department immediately launched a homicide investigation, registered under case report B-24897. Detectives processed the scene at the Kona Hilton, gathering evidence and interviewing staff and guests, but the initial investigation did not lead to an arrest. Over the years, theories have circulated, including one author's suggestion that her murder was connected to the Hawaiian Mafia, but no official suspect has ever been named by law enforcement. The case eventually went cold, a painful and unresolved wound for all who knew and loved Leilani.

Despite the passage of more than four decades, the search for justice has not ended. Leilani's case is now in the hands of the Hawaii Police Department's Unsolved Homicides Division, a dedicated unit that ensures there is no statute of limitations on murder. Detectives periodically review the evidence, hoping that new technologies or a long-held secret might finally break the silence. The department continues to believe that community members may hold the key to solving the case, emphasizing that even a small, seemingly insignificant detail could be the missing piece of the puzzle.

As of early 2025, the murder of Leilani Kim remains unsolved. No one has ever been arrested or charged in connection with her death. The case has been profiled in true-crime podcasts, and it remains an active file for island detectives who see it as their solemn duty to bring killers to justice. The Hawaii Police Department continues to appeal to the public for any information that could shed light on what happened in that hotel room in the summer of 1978. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Unsolved Homicides Division at (808) 961-2326 or Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300.