William Hans Holling Jr.

For a quarter of a century, the identity of a man found buried beneath a Honolulu home was a mystery. He was a John Doe, a victim of what police called an execution-style killing, his story silenced by time and soil. It took modern science and a cross-country search to finally give him his name back: William Hans Holling Jr. A 38-year-old man from Washington state, he was last seen by his family and friends in January 1985, leaving behind a life that included a son and a history of frequent travel.

Holling was known to often journey to Australia, with Honolulu serving as a regular stopover. His life took a difficult turn before he vanished, as he had gone through what authorities described as a contentious divorce. After January 1985, his loved ones heard from him no more. His fate remained unknown for decades, his absence an unanswered question for his family in Washington.

On September 28, 2010, a construction crew was working on a residential property on Oahu Avenue in the quiet, upscale Manoa neighborhood of Honolulu. While renovating the home, they made a grim discovery under the foundation: human skeletal remains. The Honolulu Police Department was called to the scene, and an investigation began. An examination of the bones, conducted with assistance from the military's Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, revealed the victim was a white male who had been killed by a single gunshot wound to the skull. Investigators determined the death was a homicide and the circumstances were suspicious. Found with the remains were a blue short-sleeved shirt and brown Levi Panatela pants. Other items recovered from the clothing indicated the murder had occurred sometime after 1982.

For years, the case went cold. HPD investigators worked to identify the victim, enlisting a graphic artist who created a composite sketch and even a three-dimensional clay model of the man's head based on the skull's features. The images were released to the public in the hope that someone might recognize him, but no credible leads emerged. The man remained unidentified, his case filed away as UP11790 in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs).

The first major break in the case came more than a decade after the discovery. In March 2022, the Honolulu Department of the Medical Examiner sent forensic evidence to Othram, a private lab in Texas specializing in advanced DNA testing. Using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing, scientists successfully built a comprehensive DNA profile from the degraded remains. The profile was then given to the FBI's forensic genetic genealogy team, who began the painstaking work of building a family tree to find a possible relative.

This cutting-edge investigation ultimately led police to a man in Washington state. Investigators contacted him and learned that his father, William Hans Holling Jr., had disappeared many years earlier. A reference DNA sample provided by the son was a perfect match, and in 2023, the John Doe found under the Manoa house was officially identified. "He's very positive, and he was thankful that the efforts have remained ongoing all this time," HPD Detective Ryan Kaio said of Holling's son's reaction to the news.

As of November 2024, while the victim's identity is no longer a mystery, his murder remains unsolved. The Honolulu Police Department has reopened the investigation as an active cold case homicide. Authorities are now asking for the public’s help, hoping that someone, somewhere, has information about William Hans Holling Jr.'s life and his time in Honolulu around 1985. They are seeking any detail that might lead them to his killer. Anyone with information is urged to call CrimeStoppers at 808-955-8300. Anonymous tips can also be submitted online at honolulucrimestoppers.org or through the P3 Tips app.