The Numbers DO LIE: Maui Missing Children?

{Investigative | Journalism }

Originally published 08.26.23

This is an off-shoot article that will be linked to a main article I’m working on about different events going on.

We are supposed to live in a country where the voice of the people is supposed to be heard as loudly as the voice of the few in power. Supposed to…

No one likes to be lied to, but it’s especially hurtful to be lied to by people you’ve put your trust in, people who have sworn to be your protectors and look out for your best interests. People who have been given positions of authority over the people under them.

It’s equally as hurtful to be called a liar or traitor, so for this reason I’m very careful not to make accusations without having a very strong reason for doing so. This is also why I haven’t created any articles about the Maui conspiracy theories going around. I’ve given every benefit of the doubt to the innocence of the situation as a natural disaster that took over before anyone could do anything about it.

However… Some things have surfaced that are making it difficult for me to remain in that conviction.

Sometimes in life, you have to do things you don’t want to do. You have to tell the truth, no matter what it costs. Sometimes you have to ask questions, no matter where they lead. I am in no way an authority on these subjects, but I am a researcher and I’m obligated to share my findings with the public, even if it doesn’t sit well with some. Even if it causes risks. At some point in life, you don’t care anymore about what happens as long as you live by your conscience; as long as you share the truth you know.

As I was researching for numbers to support the total population in Lahaina compared with the total missing and accounted-for persons, I started seeing the numbers not adding up. Of course, there is still a lot up in the air. With a tragedy of this magnitude, answers aren’t going to come easily. People are going to want things to happen faster than naturally possible, and people want those in authority to have answers they might not really have, but transparency is really important and some feel it’s not being given sufficiently.

I’ve read multiple comments and heard in multiple videos of locals stating officials were not being honest about how bad the situation is and the number of dead or missing people. From experience, this is usually how the government, medical institutions, and media outlets work in unison to provide a strong front. The excuse being that they don’t want people to panic even more, but this results in a backlash of public distrust and angst.

“Parents and community members feel particularly tormented, knowing many of the children were home alone when the fire struck. One father, who managed to save his own children but not his neighbors’, stated that even a 10-15 minute warning could have made a significant difference in saving lives.” (Evie Magazine)

In a very telling YouTube video by Hawaii Real Estate channel (which has been having locals interviewed and making huge efforts to piece the puzzle together), the channel owner interviewed a guest survivor who goes by the name “Fish.”

Fish was one of the first people to walk out of danger’s way when he recognized the warning signs, but he says others weren’t following and even those in cars were just waiting, blocked by police who were “following orders.” After talking with many others and having so many unanswered questions, he now calls the whole thing a “choreographed disaster.”

“What happened to the kids?” The question a lot of people have been asking Fish, he says, “They’re lying to us about the people, and the children…all you got to do is extrapolate. There’s 3,001 students in Lahaina, 1,000 of them have been accounted for. They’re going to alternative schools or online. That’s 2,000 children not accounted for. [A bit off from the approximated 800 total people missing given by officials]. It doesn’t add up.” (full video embedded at the end of this article)

(I’d like to take time to mention here as a side note warning that right after this part of the interview, they go on to talk about the high rate of scamming going on by people sending false texts and links pretending to be banks, the Red Cross, Fema, etc. Please warn anyone you know who may need to be made aware.)

Four schools have been closed, but one is open and another opening soon.

“Maui Preparatory Academy remains open and fully functioning.” The school manages grades Pre-k through 12th and is accepting displaced students from Huamana to Wahi Cooli. They hoped to fill 50 spaces, but with about 500 applications, are struggling to have enough space and resources to cover all the incoming students. (Reference video) Another school Sacred Heart was burned down but is planning to use the local parish to receive 220 students in the coming week. (Reference video)

Virtual school remains an option but is hardly an option when so many people have lost power, internet service, and phone signals are sketchy at best. Laptops have been lost in the burn limiting a means for accessing the internet at all. There is also the emotional trauma that children are facing in losing their old schools, teachers, and friends…not to mention losing their homes and almost the whole town.

On Aug 25th, Hawaii News Now reported a list of 388 missing persons, compiled by the FBI (no ages or genders). Each of these is on the list because they have a person of contact associated.

“We’re releasing this list of 388 names because we know it will help the investigation…We want to make sure that we are doing everything we can to make this investigation as complete and thorough as possible” -Maui Police Chief John Pelletier

At a news conference earlier this week, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said authorities don’t have an estimate of how many they believe perished in the fire, in large because of the high count of individuals reported missing. Officials have also said they don’t know how many children are among the victims.

Also on Aug 25th, Evie Magazine suggested the count of 2,000 missing children:

“There are still 850 people missing from the Maui wildfires, but a new report from the Hawaii State Department of Education shows that there are more than 2,000 children who are unaccounted for in the public school system.”

This number was reported as 2,025 by the Dept of Education. Reference (PDF)

Dept of Edu Enrollment Count

Please bear in mind this number still only accounts for the number of pre-k to school-age children. It does not account for children not enrolled or babies who are kept at home.

While I couldn’t find an exact number of home-schoolers in Lahaina, Hawaii as a whole has had an astounding increase in the last few years, specifically since the COVID pandemic.

“Nearly twice as many families in Hawaii decided to home-school their children this academic year [2021] as last year, according to new data from public schools and the Census Bureau”

“Home schooling is alive and well in Hawaii,” said Lori Beth Auldridge, who home schools her three daughters in Upcountry Maui and helps other families.

“We are doing it because it aligns with our family’s values,” she said. “Other people are doing it because virtual school isn’t working for their children.”

YouTube commenter

So, the question remains. Where are the children?

And where are the citizen’s videos / real people / Maui citizen’s videos? If you have any please send my way.

PLEASE watch the videos below from Hawaii Real Estate to hear the information they’ve received, the things they’re concerned about, and the pleas they’re making. Donate at your own discretion, but the information in these videos is very eye-opening. There are so many things related to the full situation that I cannot cover here.

A prayer for Maui missing children and the parents still searching for them: