A man recently identified as a suspect in the infamous kidnapping, rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman visiting Hawaii nearly 33 years ago killed himself before he could be arrested, Hawaiian authorities announced this week.
The Hawaii Police Department said Monday that it had matched the DNA of 57-year-old Albert Lauro, Jr. with DNA evidence found on the slain body of Dana Ireland, who was killed in the Kapoho area of Hawaii’s Big Island on Christmas Eve 1991.
But authorities found Lauro dead inside his home — located about two miles from the fishing trail where Ireland was found severely beaten before she died the next day — when they returned after they administered a DNA cheek swab, Police Chief Ben Moszkowicz told reporters at a press conference.
Lauro’s death appeared to be a suicide, Moszkowicz added.
“In the nearly 33 years since Dana Ireland was kidnapped, raped and killed the Hawaii police department has remained resolute in solving this case and following the evidence wherever it may lead,” Mozkowicz said.
Prosecutors had originally convicted three men for the young tourist’s murder, but one died while serving time and the other two were freed years later when they were found to be wrongfully convicted — while her real killer walked free.
Law enforcement closed in on Lauro this year after they matched DNA they retrieved from a discarded fork he had used to eat lunch with DNA recovered from the murder scene.
DNA collected from several separate samples was used to make the positive match. Semen found on her body and on her clothes, plus sweat and skin from a t-shirt were all tested and all pointed to one person, previously only known as “Unknown Male #1.”
Police said the DNA evidence gave them probable cause to charge Lauro with rape, but the statute of limitations ran out years ago. They did not have enough evidence to charge Lauro with murder, they said.
“The presence of Lauro’s DNA at the crime scene was, in and of itself, not sufficient evidence to prove that Lauro intentionally or knowingly caused her death,” Moskowicz said at the news conference in Hilo.
He killed himself last week after police went to his home to test the sample against a swab taken from him in person.
Police are now looking through Lauro’s cellphone for any additional information that could provide closure to Ireland’s family and friends.
Three men were initially arrested and convicted of the killing of Ireland in 1999.
But last year, one of the men, Albert Ian Schweitzer, had his murder conviction overturned after spending 23 years behind bars. In October 2023, his brother Shawn Schweitzer, who was also blamed for her slaughter, also had his conviction vacated thanks to the Hawaii and New York Innocence Projects, which represented both brothers.
The third convicted man, Frank Pauline, died in prison while serving time for Ireland’s murder, according to HawaiiNewsNow.
Since Lauro took his own life, the truth of what happened to Ireland may never be fully known.
This week, the Schweitzer brothers’ attorneys accused Hawaii police of intentionally botching the investigation into Lauro by not taking steps to ensure that he didn’t flee or kill himself after they obtained his DNA.
“We knew that he had a family. He had a good life,” Innocence Project co-founder Barry Scheck, who is assisting the Hawaii Innocence Project in Schweitzer’s case, said of Lauro.
“It’s well known in law enforcement circles … if you have DNA on a guy and you know he committed the crime, that if you do not bring him into custody, there is a serious chance that the person will flee, destroy evidence or kill themself,” he told The Associated Press.
But Moskowicz said if police arrested Lauro without probable cause, a court wouldn’t have accepted any evidence they gathered afterward. He denied there was any sabotage by investigators.
“We remain focused on Dana Ireland, a young woman who was brutally murdered. There is still a lot about this case that we do not know and our investigation into this case continues to push forward. Our search for the truth is not over,” Moszkowicz said.
Ireland, who was visiting from Virginia, was found clinging to life on Dec. 24, 1991 in the brush along a fishing trail in Puna, a remote section of the island.
She had been sexually assaulted and beaten, and died at Hilo Medical Center the following day. The mangled bicycle she had been riding was found several miles away and appeared to have been run into by a vehicle.
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If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
