The Unsolved Murder of Jubilee “Maile” Lum: Honolulu’s White Van Cold Case

The Unsolved Murder of Jubilee “Maile” Lum Jubilee “Maile” Lum was twenty-one years old, taking adult education classes, planning to marry on her next birthday, and, according to her mother, four months pregnant. On August 24, 1999, her body was found wrapped in layers of plastic behind a Honolulu florist. The night before, Maile had reportedly been seen getting into a white or light-colored Ford Econoline van in Chinatown. A purple or turquoise pickup was also reported near the florist around the time her body was left there. Neither vehicle has been publicly identified, no suspect has been named, and her murder remains unsolved. This episode follows Maile’s life before the headlines, the family who kept trying to bring her home, the wedding date she never reached, and the investigation that raised questions about another young woman, Michelle Anne Bensinger. Police believed the women probably knew each other, and the FBI later compared their cases with attacks on women on Kauaʻi, but no common killer was ever established. Maile was not a label or a cautionary tale. She was a daughter, sister, fiancée, aunt, and young woman who helped care for the people around her while trying to find steadier ground for herself. Anyone with information can contact Honolulu CrimeStoppers at 808-955-8300 or the Honolulu Police Department at 808-529-3111. Sources Jubilee Lum - Honolulu Police Department Cold Case https://www.honolulupd.org/cold-case/jubilee-lum/ Lure of Street Life Strong for Murder Victim https://archives.starbulletin.com/1999/09/24/news/story7.html Police Pondering Whether Deaths Were Connected https://archives.starbulletin.com/1999/08/27/news/story4.html Link Uncovered in Deaths of Two Oahu Women https://archives.starbulletin.com/1999/09/22/news/story2.html Unsolved Cases Need Public’s Help https://archives.starbulletin.com/2000/01/25/news/story2.html New Leads Sought in Seven-Year-Old Slaying https://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Jun/26/ln/FP606260343.html Police Re-Investigate Unsolved Murder https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/5077097/police-re-investigate-unsolved-murder/ Honolulu Star-Bulletin Obituary: Jubilee “Maile” Lum https://archives.starbulletin.com/1999/09/09/news/obits.html Newspapers.com Archive: Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Honolulu Advertiser, and Hawaii Tribune-Herald https://www.newspapers.com/ Follow @BeneathThePalmsPodcast for episode visuals, archival material, and updates. #JubileeLum #HawaiiTrueCrime #HonoluluColdCase #UnsolvedMurder #BeneathThePalms