The Unsolved Murder of Leilani Castro Kim | Revisited: 002

In this episode of Beneath the Palms, we revisit the unsolved murder of Leilani Castro Kim, a 44-year-old mother of three who had recently moved from Hilo to Kona and just started a new job at the Kona Hilton, now the Royal Kona Resort. On August 1, 1978, she was found murdered in her hotel room bathtub in Kailua-Kona. More than four decades later, the case remains unsolved.This is a fact-based retelling built on the public record. We stay close to what Hawaii Police says happened, where the timeline is clear, and where it still isn’t. We also step carefully into the public chatter around the case, but only with clear boundaries between what is verified and what is not.Leilani was known as an outgoing and successful businesswoman. Before Kona, she had owned a jewelry store at Hilo Mall and worked as a top sales agent for an insurance company in Hilo. She had gone to her high school reunion just days before her death. Then, in the middle of starting over, her life was cut short.If you were on the Big Island in the summer of 1978, knew Leilani, worked at the Kona Hilton, or remember anything that may matter now, Hawaii Police still wants to hear from you. Unsolved Homicides Division: (808) 961-2380. Crime Stoppers: (808) 961-8300.Sources used in this episode:Hawaii Police Department — Leilani Kim Murder (B-24897)https://www.hawaiipolice.gov/leilani-kim-b-24897/Hawaii Police Department — Unsolved Homicideshttps://www.hawaiipolice.gov/news-and-media/unsolved-homicides/Hawaii Police Department — Submit a Tip About an Unsolved Homicidehttps://www.hawaiipolice.gov/news-and-media/unsolved-homicides/submit-a-tip-about-an-unsolved-homicide/Honolulu Civil Beat — The Miske Criminal Enterprise May Be Gone But Other Powerful Crime Networks Remainhttps://www.civilbeat.org/2024/07/the-miske-criminal-enterprise-may-be-gone-but-other-powerful-crime-networks-remain/#LeilaniCastroKim #UnsolvedMurder #KonaHilton #HawaiiTrueCrime