logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2024
40m 40s

The Honolulu Strangler

SPOTIFY STUDIOS
About this episode

Honolulu, on the Hawaiian island of O’ahu, is a quintessential paradise. In 1986, it was also the hunting grounds of a serial killer who was never caught: The Honolulu Strangler. Investigators believe he claimed as many as five victims before seemingly disappearing into thin air. Now, cold case detectives believe they may have some answers in the as-yet-unsolved case.

Keep up with us on Instagram @serialkillerspodcast! Have a story to share? Email us at serialkillerstories@spotify.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Aug 18
Visionary Killer: Joe Kallinger
The visionary killer blames their crimes on an external force – an apparition who commands them to kill. In Joseph Kallinger’s case, multiple entities urging him to commit arson… and then, to kill everyone on planet Earth. Keep up with us on Instagram @serialkillerspodcast! Learn ... Show More
30m 58s
Aug 11
Power and Control Killer: Ted Bundy
Ted Bundy was calculated, composed, even charming. But behind the polished exterior was a predator obsessed with control. He used manipulation, deceit, and dominance to gain total power over his victims. From his carefully planned attacks to his detailed confessions, Ted Bundy is ... Show More
41m 9s
Aug 4
The Idaho Four Pt. 2 (with Kayna Whitworth)
In 2022, Six weeks after the murders of the Idaho Four, Bryan Kohberger was arrested in Pennsylvania. Fast forward to July of 2025, when just weeks before his trial was set to begin, he pleaded guilty. Later that month, he was sentenced to life in prison. ABC News Kayna Whitworth ... Show More
44m 47s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2017
Case 62: The Honolulu Strangler
Between 1985 and 1986, five young women went missing on the Hawaiian island of Honolulu. The victims – Vicki Purdy, Regina Sakamoto, Denise Hughes, Louise Medeiros and Linda Pesce – were each found strangled to death with their hands bound behind their backs. ---  Episode narrate ... Show More
41m 12s
Oct 2024
Introducing Unsolved Histories
The team that brought you The Letter has a new show called Unsolved Histories. Season 1 is about a plane crash over the Gulf of Alaska during the Cold War. An airliner carrying 101 people took to the skies near Seattle moving military personnel and their families to their new ass ... Show More
13m 24s
Oct 2024
Introducing Unsolved Histories
The team that brought you COLD has a new show called Unsolved Histories. Season 1 is about a plane crash over the Gulf of Alaska during the Cold War. An airliner carrying 101 people took to the skies near Seattle moving military personnel and their families to their new assignmen ... Show More
13m 6s
Feb 2023
The Smuttynose Murders Pt. 2
Prosecuting attorney George Yeaton was certain who committed the gruesome murders on Smuttynose Island. To him, the evidence pointed to a robbery gone wrong. But what motivated the suspect to kill the only friends he had? A follow-up conversation with the lone survivor would give ... Show More
52m 14s
Mar 2025
Christmas in Hawai’i | Chapter 1
On Christmas Eve in 1991, Dana Ireland is found tucked away in a secluded, hard to get to area of the Hawaiian subdivision, Vacationland barely clinging to life. When she finally arrives at a Hilo hospital, the damage is too severe and they declare Dana dead at 12:25am on Christm ... Show More
27m 14s
Mar 2025
Family Feud | Chapter 3
In Chapter 3, Amanda Knox takes you to Hawai’i’s Big Island to speak with Ian and Shawn Schweitzer and members of their legal team to understand how a confession, driven by deals and deception, could lead to their arrests. Despite a lack of forensic evidence, Ken Lawson of the Ha ... Show More
31m 7s
Apr 2025
Hiding in Plain Sight | Chapter 7
For decades, Dana’s killer remained a ghost. Until now.With a new weapon in their arsenal—cutting-edge forensic genealogy—investigators uncover a truth that had been buried in plain sight. In just 19 days, they identified a man who was never on law enforcement’s radar. A man who ... Show More
29m 34s
Feb 2025
The Mobster Who Ruled Hawaii & His Brutal Revenge Quest
Michael Miske came from a broken home through years of petty crime to lead a gang of lost boys in Honolulu, cornering its drug scene and befriending cops to build an empire of pain in the Aloha State. But when Miske’s son slammed his car into a truck and died, it sent the kingpin ... Show More
1h 2m