Samuel Gilbert Jr.

Samuel Gilbert Jr. was known by his family as a kind and funny man, a beloved figure whose violent death left a void that has never been filled. At 69 years old, he was the owner of Kapuni Developers and served as the property manager for the Waikiki Whaler apartment building, a property his family's company, Kapuni Development Corp., was associated with. His life was deeply rooted in the community he served, making the sudden and brutal end to his life all the more shocking to those who knew him.

On the afternoon of June 30, 1998, the familiar setting of his second-floor office at 232 Kaiulani Avenue in Waikiki became a crime scene. Just before 2 p.m., Samuel's body was discovered. He had been stabbed multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene. His office was situated at the top of an open stairwell, a location that should have been bustling with daily activity. Investigators from the Honolulu Police Department found no signs of a forced entry, suggesting a troubling ease of access for his killer. While some items were missing from the office, authorities were uncertain if robbery was the primary motive for the attack.

The initial investigation was intensive. Detectives followed up on several leads and conducted interviews with dozens of potential witnesses in the busy Waikiki neighborhood. Despite their efforts, no suspects were ever publicly identified, and no arrests were made. The case, which began with a flurry of activity and questions, slowly grew cold. For years, it remained the only unsolved murder on the island of Oahu for 1998, a grim distinction that offered no comfort to his grieving family.

More than two decades after the killing, the pain of the unresolved loss remains sharp for Samuel's relatives. "We all suffered with this loss, and whoever did this needs to pay for it,” his son, Sam Gilbert III, stated in a 2019 interview. The passage of time has not diminished their hope for justice or their desire for closure. His grandson, Samuel Gilbert IV, never had the chance to meet the man he has heard so much about. “I’ll always wonder what it would have been like grow up having known him," he shared. "From all the things I’ve heard, he was a fantastic human being.”

In July 2019, the Honolulu Police Department officially re-opened the cold case, breathing new life into the search for answers. Detective Mike Ogawa confirmed that investigators planned to apply modern DNA testing techniques to evidence that had been preserved from the original crime scene, hoping that scientific advances could pull a profile and provide a long-awaited lead. The renewed push also served as a public appeal, a plea for anyone who might have seen or heard something, no matter how insignificant it seemed at the time, to come forward.

The family believes that someone holds the key to solving the case. "They might just need a little prompting to come forward and say something," Sam Gilbert III said, expressing his hope that the renewed attention would finally bring a breakthrough. "That would help. If they could solve this case that would be awesome." As of July 2019, the investigation into the murder of Samuel Gilbert Jr. remains open and active. The Honolulu Police Department continues to seek information from the public, holding out hope that a crucial tip will finally bring justice for a kind and funny man taken from his family far too soon.

Anyone with information regarding the death of Samuel Gilbert Jr. is urged to contact Honolulu CrimeStoppers at 808-955-8300.