Community members are chipping in to support a local family that is handling unexpected funeral expenses after a downed banyan tree killed two women in Hilo. As of Tuesday afternoon, the fundraiser is 59% toward its goal of $7,000.
A GoFundMe page, which identified the victims as Trisha and Michelle, is raising funds for their service planned Aug. 20. According to GoFundMe, Trisha and Michelle were a couple that “regularly hung out at” the spot.
"If you knew Trisha then you knew how special she was. Her smile contagious, always there to help someone in need even if she was struggling herself,” wrote organizer Savana Moore, Trisha's older sister. “She loved all of her nieces and nephews and all her family and friends with everything she had. Now we want to show her how much she was loved. How much the both of them were loved."
On July 12, the banyan tree fell atop Kīlauea Avenue and damaged a portion of Calvary Chapel Hilo, multiple local news outlets reported at the time. Hawai‘i Island police announced July 20 that personnel had recovered the remains of two adult women from within the debris. “Autopsies will be conducted later this week to determine the exact cause of death. However, police do not suspect foul play at this time,” the department said.
Moore noted on the GoFundMe that the family had filed a missing person report soon after the tree had fallen. “Days went on and still no help from local authorities,” she said. “My sister and family decided take matters into their own hands, feeling in their hearts that Trisha and Michelle were under this tree, and on Sunday, July 20, my sister found a body and called authorities.”
HPD and Hawai‘i Fire Department personnel responded that day at approximately 9:41 a.m., a media release noted.
The investigation is ongoing, headed by Detective Sybastian Keltner of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section. Anyone with related information may contact him at 808-961-2378 or at sybastian.keltner@hawaiicounty.gov. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 808-961-8300.
Moore wrote in an update on GoFundMe, “I wanna thank everyone who donated and shared and who continue to provide love and prayers to us. It means more than you will ever know.”
Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
