15 years have passed since Marlo Moku went missing, but loved ones aren’t giving up hope

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - It’s been 15 years since a Big Island mother went missing. Even though so much time has passed, her loved ones aren’t giving up hope.

There’s not a day that goes by where Kawehi Moku isn’t thinking of her eldest sister, Marlo Moku.

September 23, 2008, was the last time she heard Marlo’s voice.

“She was somebody that I looked up to,” said Moku. “She was really like a second mom.”

“When I couldn’t approach my mom or my dad, you know, she was the one that I would go to; her smile, her personality, everything was just so radiant about her.”

Marlo Moku may have gone to the 7-11 on Kaumana Drive to buy cigarettes, but what happened after that is a mystery.

Her car was found at the bottom of a steep cliff in Hakalau two weeks later.

Hawaii Police said there was no sign of foul play, and her disappearance is still a missing persons case.

Capt. Rio Amon-Wilkins, the Hawaii Police Dept, said a mechanical inspection of the vehicle was done by experts and cell phone records were reviewed.

“We still want to stay positive and, you know, hope the very best. And ultimately, you know, the, the best outcome at this point would, you know, for her to be located, but outside of that, you know, any type of closure that we can get for the family would definitely be important to them, but also to us.”

Marlo was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder at a younger age, but her family says she was getting treatment every two weeks.

“I think everybody at some point is feeling like what possibly could we have done to prevent this from happening,” said Kawehi Moku.

Marlo is a mother of three, and her 49th birthday is coming up in December.

Two of her young grandkids carry her name.

Her sister and children will never stop keeping her memory and name alive.

“They talk about her, they wish she was here, and I think everything that they do, they strive to make her proud,” said Kawehi Moku. “Even if she’s not physically here, she’s somewhere in this realm, and they truly believe, and we truly believe that she’s always amongst us spiritually.”

If you have any information regarding Marlo Moku’s disappearance, call Crime Stoppers at 808-961-8300.

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