Hawaii man imprisoned for 1991 murder, rape released
HONOLULU (AP) — A judge on Tuesday ordered a man released immediately after his attorneys presented new evidence and argued that he didn’t commit the crimes he was convicted of and spent more than 20 years in prison for: the 1991 murder, kidnapping and sexual assault of a woman visiting Hawaii.
Albert “Ian” Schweitzer, who was sentenced in 2000 to 130 years in prison, should be “released from his shackles immediately,” Judge Peter Kubota ruled.
A petition filed late Monday outlined additional evidence in one of Hawaii’s biggest murders, which unfolded on Christmas Eve in 1991 on Hawaii Island, commonly known as the Big Island.
Dana Ireland, 23, was found barely alive in the bushes along a fishing trail in Puna, a remote section of the Big Island. She had been sexually assaulted and beaten, and later died at Hilo Medical Center. The mangled bicycle she had been riding was found several miles away and appeared to have been run into by a vehicle.
The murder of the blond-haired, blue-eyed visitor from Virginia gained national attention and remained unsolved for years, putting intense pressure on police to find the killer.
Schweitzer was the last of three Native Hawaiian men convicted of her murder who remained behind bars.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
HONOLULU (AP) — Attorneys for a Native Hawaiian man who has been imprisoned for more than 20 years for the 1991 sexual assault, kidnapping and murder of a white woman visiting Hawaii began presenting new evidence in court Tuesday — including DNA testing — they say proves he is innocent.
A petition filed late Monday outlines additional evidence in one of Hawaii's biggest murders, which unfolded on Christmas Eve in 1991 on Hawaii Island, commonly known as the Big Island.
Dana Ireland, 23,...