021 | Buried in Paradise: The Unsolved Murder of Matthew Peak in Waipio Valley

A dog digging in black sand. A skull just beneath the surface.

On June 1st, 1999, the remains of 22-year-old Matthew Joel Peak were discovered on a remote beach in Waipio Valley, one of Hawaii’s most sacred—and isolated—places. A quiet drifter from San Francisco, Matthew had been living off the grid, hitchhiking between towns, sleeping in a makeshift shack. Weeks earlier, someone had strangled him and buried his body where the valley meets the sea.

Twenty-five years later, his murder remains unsolved.

This episode explores the haunting mystery of what happened in those final days of May 1999—and the broader story of how gentrification, displacement, and the myth of paradise can collide in silence.

⚠️ Listener discretion advised: this episode contains descriptions of homicide.

If you have any information about this case, contact Hawaii Police at [phone] or Crime Stoppers at [phone].

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🎵 Music: “Obsession” by Yoza – used with permission

📚 Sources: Hawaii Police Department, Hawaii News Now, local press, Big Island Thieves

Darkness may linger beneath the palms... but so does hope.

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