Case Details

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This person was missing Missing Since 03/07/1977

Missing Since:

Missing Since 03/07/1977

Missing From:

Missing From Kahoolawe, Hawaii

Classification:

Classification Lost/Injured Missing

Gender:

Male

Race:

Race Pacific Islander

Date of Birth:

Date of Birth 02/15/1952 (72)

Age:

Age 25 years old

Height and Weight:

Height and Weight Unknown

Clothing/Jewelry Description:

Distinguishing Characteristics:

Distinguishing Characteristics Pacific Islander male. Black hair, brown eyes. Mitchell goes by his middle name, Kimo.

Details of Disappearance:

Mitchell grew up in Hawaii, was a great swimmer and football player, and went to college in California before returning home to work for the National Park Service. He loved the outdoors – hunting, farming, and canoeing.

Kahoolawe, another Hawaiian island, was being used as a bombing range by the US Navy and was also heavily damaged by goats. Native Hawaiians were protesting this, and in the 1970s, they secretly went to the island to raise awareness.

Mitchell and his cousin, George Helm, tried to paddle to Kahoolawe on surfboards in 1977 but disappeared. The Navy searched, but found nothing. Most people think they had an accident at sea, but some believe they were harmed because of their activism.

Mitchell and Helm became symbols of the Hawaiian movement to protect their land. Eventually, Kahoolawe was returned to Hawaii. Even though their disappearance remains a mystery, it’s no longer being investigated. Years later, Helm’s music was rediscovered and praised.

Agency:

None

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