KAHULUI (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Maui Police Commission heard heated testimony Wednesday about the handling of human remains after the Lahaina wildfire as well as concerns about transparency within the Maui Police Department.

HNN Investigates sources confirm that the head of Common Cause Hawaii received several messages overnight, including threats of violence and racist slurs.

These apparent threats could explain why program manager Camron Hurt was absent from the Maui Police Commission meeting Wednesday after lead a public campaign for transparency.

Several dozen people were present. Many stood in the hall because there was not enough space in the room.

Whistleblower Greyson Abarra, owner of Gray Tech LLC and former MPD morgue contractor, was the first to testify.

“The Maui Police Department, an institution meant to uphold the highest ideals of service and protection, has faltered under the weight of absent leadership. Public responses from the chief’s office gloss over critical issues and ignore the very real consequences of omissions, actions and inaction that have compounded the suffering of those who have lost loved ones, leaving families in an agonizing void and a traumatized community,” he said.

Released documents along with MPD statements and eyewitness accounts reveal many recovery processes and procedures essential for accurately documenting the location of a person’s death and for keeping those remains separate so they are not lost or confused with other sets of remains. I didn’t follow.

HNN investigations confirmed:

• Identification numbers supposed to be issued immediately upon discovery of a victim were only assigned when the remains were moved at least two different times.
• Scene photographs and GPS coordinates were not obtained in all cases.
• MPD leadership admits to cases where body bags were not used to move the deceased from their final resting place.

Furthermore, Emails obtained by HNN Investigates reveal apparent confusion in what additional bones of a fire victim were discovered three weeks after MPD released the man’s remains to a morgue. According to the emails, the newly discovered bones could not be separated from the remains of the other victims, something his family claims they never told him.

Maui Police Commission Chairwoman Stacey Moniz asked Abarra, “Why did you wait so long to bring these concerns to the community?”

Abarra said: “I didn’t do it. I immediately reported this through the appropriate channels.

“During the after-action with the police?” » asked Moniz.

“That’s right,” Abarra replied. “Throughout the process, any reported mismanagement, as I said, was ignored.”

Moniz asked, “Did you also say that to the attorney general’s office when they did their action?” »

Abarra responded, “I have contacted the Attorney General’s Office, the Lieutenant Governor’s Office, the Maui County Council, and many other platforms as well. »

Commissioner Frank De Rego Jr. said, “I was president at the time the fires occurred and at no time did I see any communication from you. »

Abarra said he was under contractual secrecy until June 17. “That’s when my contract was exempted from the convenience clause,” he explained.

At one point, Moniz asked, “You wouldn’t feel like you had a role or responsibility in this mishandling of the remains if you were there, every step of the way?”

Abarra responded: “From the results, yes, it shows that trying to speak out and right the wrongs, that is my result. »

A testimony made Commissioner Kekoa Mowat cry.

Mowat said, “You are not bringing justice to the people of Lahaina. Do you have a problem with him (Maui Police Chief John Pelletier)? Take him out. You say there will be litigation. Why are you dragging the commission into this?

Abarra is in the process of filing a civil suit against the Maui Police Department. He claims MPD owes him more than a quarter of a million dollars for work he was never paid for.

Mowat said: “They did what they had to do. They never followed protocol. Who has a protocol for 100 people to die and lose a city? What, is there a list where we go, okay, my town was burned down, everyone is dead, what are we going to do? Follow this protocol? Make sure you have a body bag. Do not use plastic bags.

Abarra said: “There are protocols. »

Mowat said: “Yes, there are protocols, but not for this event. »

Abarra said: “There are. Training and events are also held to ensure we are doing things right.

Mowat asked: “What does this have to do with the people who died?”

Abarra said: “Their remains are therefore treated without desecration or integrity. »

Bruce Douglas then testified.

“I have been very disturbed by the treatment of Greyson by this commission,” he said.

“This commission is there to gather information, not to attack a person. It takes a lot of courage to come before this committee and share this information. Instead, he was belittled for this information, what he was trying to share, rather than being supported,” Douglas said. “So I wonder if this commission is in the business of defending the police chief or questioning what’s really going on?

Chief Pelletier commented last.

“Every member of the family received the remains, and I don’t even like to talk about it because it’s painful, from what we were able to identify. If we cannot identify this particular part of a human being, we will not make this mistake. And if we have to fact check and go back and retest, we have,” he said.

After the meeting, HNN Investigates waited outside for the chief to ask him about the documented missteps he has so far refused to discuss. Instead of facing us directly, he chose to exit through a side door.

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