Hawaii 1999 Cold Case: Ex-Soldier DARNELL GRIFFIN Sentenced to two life terms for murdering Evelyn Luka while on parole for an earlier homicide

DARNELL GRIFFIN

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Suspect in 1999 Hawaii murder tagged as threat in '96 memo

FROM: the.honoluluadvertiser.com (October 17th 2008)
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Evelyn Luka

Darnell Griffin, now awaiting trial for the 1999 rape and murder of Evelyn Luka, was identified three years before the crime as a dangerous sexual predator whose movements after leaving prison should be restricted by parole authorities, according to court records. The warning, issued in January 1996 by state sex-offender specialist Barry Coyne, virtually predicted the way in which prosecutors now say Griffin met and attacked Luka on September 6th, 1999.

Griffin had been convicted in 1980 of murdering another woman. Before Griffin was paroled on March 5th, 1996, Coyne recommended that he be subjected to "more intense supervision" than normal, including a 9 p.m. curfew and a warning that if he visited nightclubs in central Honolulu or Waikiki, his parole could be revoked.

The VLounge

Coyne also recommended that Griffin be required to regularly take and pass polygraph tests to make sure he was not violating the terms of his release from prison. According to records filed in the Luka case, the victim was last seen leaving Venus Nite Club (Now called VLOUNGE) on Kapi'olani Boulevard around midnight with a man matching Griffin's description in a vehicle matching the one that Griffin drove at the time.

Specialist B. Coyne

Luka, 20, was found barely alive early the next morning on the side of H-2 Freeway. Sexually assaulted and strangled, she died the following month of brain injuries when her family removed her from life support. Hawai'i Paroling Authority administrator Max Otani said that, despite Coyne's concerns about Griffin, the parolee remained under "intensive supervision" only through December 1996.

That program imposed a 9 p.m. curfew and Griffin was subjected once to a polygraph examination, in November 1996, Otani said.

Sketch of the Suspect

As of 1997, Griffin was transferred to general parole status, which included an 11 p.m. curfew and instructions not to consume alcohol or visit premises where alcohol is served, Otani said.

There is no indication in court files that parole officials or Honolulu police detectives identified Griffin as a possible suspect in the Luka murder until a DNA sample he provided in 2006 was later matched with evidence collected in 1999. Griffin was required to supply the DNA under a 2005 state law requiring collection of such samples from all convicted murderers.

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GUILTY IN 1980 KILLING

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DARNELL GRIFFIN TIMELINE

* Oct. 23, 1978: Army transfers Darnell Griffin to Hawaiçi.

* Oct. 17, 1979: He’s accused of rape by 26-year-old female tourist; case dismissed.

* Oct. 11, 1980: Murders Lynn Gheradi.

Feb. 14, 1983: Sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole for murdering Gheradi.

Jan. 12, 1996: State official Barry Coyne writes warning memo, advises close supervision of Griffin as parolee.

March 5, 1996: Griffin paroled under “intensive supervision.”

Dec. 30, 1996: Intensive supervision of Griffin lifted by Hawaiçi Paroling Authority.

Sept. 6, 1999: Evelyn Luka raped and strangled.

Sept. 6, 2004: DNA evidence from Luka case entered in national database.

Nov. 24, 2006: DNA sample obtained from Griffin by parole officer.

Dec. 9, 2006: Griffin allegedly exposes himself, solicits sex from 26-year-old woman.

Feb. 26, 2007: Griffin DNA sample matched to DNA from Luka case.

March 28, 2007: Griffin arrested and charged with rape and murder of Evelyn Luka.

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Police Make An Arrest in Cold Case Murder in Waipio

FROM: the.honoluluadvertiser.com (October 17th 2008)
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Evelyn was murdered eight years ago !

Now, a breakthrough in this cold case: Using DNA technology, Honolulu police arrested and charged Darnell Griffin in the 1999 killing of a young woman in Waipio. David Katina says his mind is racing. His next-door neighbor, 48-year-old Griffin, is accused of killing a woman eight years ago. "He knew my kids. We knew his kids and his wife," Katina said. "And he's a good guy."
 
20 year-old Evelyn Luka was found unconscious and severely beaten along the H-2 Freeway near Ka Uka Boulevard September 6th, 1999. Investigators say early that morning, she was seen leaving Venus Nite Club on Kapiolani Boulevard with a man. Police released a composite sketch of the suspect. But the case went cold, until now.

H-2 Freeway

"DNA analysts from our Scientific Investigation Section informed our Homicide Detail that they got a hit," Capt. Frank Fujii, from the Honolulu Police Department, said. He also says the DNA sample taken off the victim matches Griffin's DNA profile, which is already in the national Database because he was convicted of murdering a 26-year-old woman back in 1980. "In both cases, the victims died of strangulation," Fujii said. "I'm shocked," Katina said. "He did tell me he had, you know, trouble with the law years ago and he was getting his life back together again. In fact, he visited our church."

HPD crime lab officials say there are more than 4.2 million convicted offenders with DNA profiles in the national database. They say this is their first DNA cold case arrest in history. "Sometimes, it's not very satisfying because you can not, you're not able to provide the information that the investigators need," Wayne Kimoto, HPD's forensic lab supervisor, said. "But in times such as these, when we are able to provide information, we're very happy."

Police won't say why the case broke open now (???). Griffin was released on parole in 1996, after serving 15 years in prison for an earlier murder. Now, he's being held in lieu of $5 million bail.

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Additional Information about the Case can be found at the following Links:

Ex-Soldier sentenced to two life terms for murder

Two-time convicted killer must serve back-to-back life terms

Alleged statement to officer thrown out