Questions emerge about origin of GPS data Maui PD provided for AG’s wildfire investigation

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - New questions are emerging about the origin of GPS coordinates used to map locations of fire victims who were found following the Lahaina disaster.

The data was provided by the Maui Police Department in response to a subpoena from the state attorney general’s office for its wildfire investigation.

The list shows coordinates for every person recovered — but it’s information MPD’s own officers say wasn’t always collected.

Over the past few weeks, HNN Investigates has been contacted by multiple officers within the Maui Police Department, some of whom were on the ground in Lahaina in the three days immediately following the disaster.

Those officers told us during that time, they did not collect GPS coordinates — statements that beg the question: how was MPD’s list generated?

HNN Investigates

At November’s Maui Police Commission meeting, MPD Chief John Pelletier stood at a podium, telling commissioners, “Every single coordinate was plotted where we recovered people.”

The chief went on to say, “The transparency in this is second to none.”

He added, “We put the GPS coordinates in the After Action for the attorney general. Some people like the numbers.”

It’s six pages of data Pelletier says documents the precise location every person lost in the Lahaina fire was found — with the exception of those who passed away at a hospital.

“There was no second guessing. It was all there,” Pelletier said.

But statements made by MPD officers ordered to recover the remains of fire victims — despite not having proper training — cast doubt on the chief’s claim.

Because the officers we spoke with fear retaliation from MPD leadership, we’re concealing their identities.

One officer told us, “The recoveries I did were in the first three days. And there was no GPS coordinates. We weren’t really given any instructions. Other than being instructed to place all remains found into body bags marked with date, time, street and or address it was found at or near. It felt like there was no commanding leadership.”

Another officer said they were unaware Maui had a “Mass Fatality Operations Plan” and field guide.

“I didn’t know the county had a manual, a plan — on how to handle things like this,“ the officer said. ”No one told us.”

Those documents give specific instructions on how to carry out recovery operations. The manuals state at the time of discovery, each person who perished should have been assigned a unique ID number; have photographs and GPS coordinates taken where they were found; and their remains placed in a post mortem pouch — also known as a body bag — for transport to the morgue for an autopsy.

“For first responders themselves, it aids in them being able to properly identify folks and then also being able to properly write up a report,” said Thomas Azwell.

Azwell is the founder and director of UC Berkeley’s Disaster Lab.

Over the past 15 years, he’s spent his career helping create safe, sustainable and disaster resistant communities, responding to some of the world’s worst mass casualty incidents, including wildfires and the 2023 Turkey Syria earthquake that claimed more than 55,000 lives.

Azwell says collecting GPS coordinates immediately when a decedent is found is crucial.

“The more time that goes by, the harder it is to create an accurate picture of what happened,” he said.

It’s clarity many who lost loved ones in Lahaina are left without.

For nearly a decade, Tony Simpson worked for ambulance company AMR, providing emergency medical services for the people of Lanai.

Sixteen months after the fire, his sister Nichol Simpson is baffled by what she calls a lack of transparency from the Maui Police Department.

“Tony was beautiful. Very kind, giving. Constantly in service to the community. He turned 43 the day before the Lahaina fires,” Nichol Simpson said. “I hate that I’m playing a guessing game as to where he was found.”

She said since the disaster, MPD has provided her with three different locations.

“I was told he was found with other people. And that he was found by himself. I was told that he was found in a home. And then I was told he was found on the front lawn. So I don’t understand,” she said.

Meanwhile, MPD’s former morgue contractor told HNN Investigates, “The first GPS coordinate I have record of was the 90th human remain recovery out there on the (August) 13th (2023).”

Greyson Abarra went on to say, “There’s a lot of cases even after the 90th human recovery missing those numbers.”

HNN Investigates asked Abarra if he had any information on Tony Simpson.

Abarra told us his records show Tony Simpson was recovered on Aug. 11, 2023. He says those documents also reveal none of the details that should have been collected by recovery teams were obtained.

He said, “Information available at that time was a cross street described as Keone Street and Kahua Street in Lahaina. No notes. And no coordinates. No photos.”

But it appears that’s not the information MPD handed over to the attorney general.

Instead, the report lists GPS coordinates for every person who was recovered, including Simpson.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• Mishandling of human remains: Local forensic company breaks silence on Lahaina disaster response
• Watchdog group demands answers from MPD chief amid reports department mishandled Lahaina victims’ remains
• New Maui police statement reveals county protocol violations in Lahaina fire victim recovery
• Emails reveal Maui Police Department still holds portion of Lahaina fire victim’s remains
• National watchdog calls for federal probe into Maui police’s handling of remains following Lahaina fire
• Emotions run high as Maui Police Commission hears testimony over handling of fire remains

On Dec. 4 HNN Investigates sent the first of multiple requests, asking MPD to explain how the GPS coordinates it provided to the attorney general’s office for its wildfire investigation were obtained. We also requested an on-camera interview with Chief Pelletier. More than two weeks later, we have not gotten a response to any of our questions.

Nichol Simpson told HNN Investigates the community deserves better, “The level of distrust that I have right now is at an all-time high. And I think to say, like, why are we bringing this back up — It’s not.“

“For those of us who lost family, for those who lost their land, for those who’ve been displaced, it’s not bringing it back. It hasn’t gone anywhere. And so, I think it’s disrespectful of him (Chief Pelletier) to say that (at Nov. 20 police commission meeting). Of course I want answers.”

Meanwhile, those officers we spoke with say while mistakes were made due to the lack of proper training. Everyone out there doing the work gave it their all and did the best they could under the circumstances, saying they just want the community to know the truth.

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