Joseph Kahahawai, a 22-year-old Native Hawaiian prizefighter, was accused of raping Thalia Massie, the wife of a U.S. Navy lieutenant. After an inconclusive trial ended in a hung jury, Kahahawai was kidnapped by a group that included Thalia's mother, Grace Fortescue, her husband, Thomas Massie, and two Navy enlisted men. They took him to their rented bungalow and attempted to force a confession at gunpoint.
During the interrogation, Kahahawai was fatally shot.
The subsequent trial of the kidnappers and killers attracted national attention and exposed deep racial and social divisions in Hawaii. Despite confessing to the kidnapping and killing, the defendants were convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to ten years in prison. However, under pressure from the mainland U.S. and threats of martial law in Hawaii, the territorial governor commuted their sentence to just one hour.
