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March 6, 2025 32 mins

On February 6, 1996, Honolulu was rocked by one of the most intense hostage crises in Hawaii’s history. Former Seal Masters of Hawaii employee John Nahale Miranda stormed his old workplace on Sand Island, taking five hostages at gunpoint and demanding $20,000 in cash. As tensions escalated, Miranda shot his former supervisor, made chilling threats live on the radio, and forced SWAT into a high-stakes standoff.

But this wasn’t just a desperate act of revenge—because investigators soon uncovered something far worse: the murder of his girlfriend, Sherry Lynn Holmes, days before the siege.

🔍 In this episode, we explore:

  • The events leading to Miranda’s violent standoff
  • The terrifying moments inside the Seal Masters building
  • How hostage Guy George made a daring escape despite a life-threatening injury
  • The role of live radio broadcasts in Miranda’s demands
  • The SWAT takedown that ended the siege
  • How the murder of Sherry Lynn Holmes changed everything

This is the full, gripping story of the Sand Island hostage crisis—a moment that shattered Honolulu’s sense of security and rewrote the city’s approach to crisis response.

🔗 Listen now and uncover the truth.

🎵 Featuring Obsession by Yoza
📌 Follow @BeneathThePalmsPodcast for more true crime stories.

#TrueCrimePodcast #HawaiiCrime #HostageCrisis #SWATResponse #HonoluluCrime #BeneathThePalms #PodcastEpisode #ListenNow

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