Can new technology help authorities find who killed Diane Suzuki?

This story appears in the Hawaii News Now special “Who killed Diane Suzuki?” View the full episode here.

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - There have been no remarkable changes in Diane Suzuki’s case since the failed grand jury in 1993.

But there have been significant improvements in DNA technology that has helped solve active and cold cases.

Could those techniques finally provide the evidence to get an indictment and conviction?

It’s not clear if cold case investigators have revisited the case in recent years.

Genetic genealogy DNA and other techniques have been able to breathe new life into stagnant cases.

But without a body, would blood samples from the dance academy bathroom be enough?

Liz Thompson, a retired cold case lieutenant with the Albuquerque Police Department, explained, “We need to figure out what evidence was collected and then using advanced techniques, see either the suspect’s DNA or maybe they’ll find unknown DNA and that’s where forensic genetic genealogy would come in. If there is DNA collected as part of a mixture with this blood that was found and it’s an unknown male, that’s where genetic genealogy investigation comes in.”

Blood samples may only contain Suzuki’s DNA or may contain multiple donors.

Suzuki’s boyfriend at the time says he does not believe her killer will be arrested.

“I don’t really have hope in the judicial system. I have more, more faith that he’ll be judged by God and he will get what he deserves,” he said.

Forty years later, the case does not appear to be any closer to being resolved.

Hawaii News Now asked the Honolulu Police Department and the city prosecutor’s office if updated tests have been done as the technology improved. Both agencies would not answer that question or be interviewed for this report.

Diane Suzuki’s sisters also declined to be interviewed.

The person of interest still lives in Pearl City. Through his attorney, he said he did not want to participate in this report.

We may never know what happened to the vibrant, charming University of Hawaii student.

But for those who were part of her life or part of the investigation, they believe they already have the answer to: “Who killed Diane Suzuki?”