Above: Jie Li in 1988 (left) and an age-progressed image to 34, circa 2012 (right)

Jie Zhao Li

Last seen in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 11, 1988

Vital statistics: Asian (Chinese) female. Born on April 10, 1975. Black hair, brown eyes. Her teeth are slightly crooked and her eye teeth were half grown at the time. Some agencies hyphenate her first and middle names, as in "Jie-Zhao." Was twelve at the time.

Circumstances: She was last seen in the area of Nuuanu on the island of Oahu selling raffle tickets door-to-door. She was seen in the parking lot of a 7-11 at the intersection of Nuuanu Avenue and Kuakini Street. She was reportedly witnessed getting into a late Fifties Chevy sedan. A sketch of a person of interest is posted below. Classified as Endangered Missing.

Theories: Endangered Missing is a tough category. Properly used, it is applied in three possible situations. One is if police are uncertain if the person wandered off, left voluntarily, or was abducted. Another is when someone is in the custody of a parent that endangers their welfare. The final is if a person has medical conditions or is otherwise a danger to self or others. With this information, it is easy to put Li in the category. Yet police are certain that she was abducted and foul play is suspected in her case. If that is the most logical explanation, then why is the case not classified as an abduction? Li did leave on an ordinary task, and promised to be back at a certain time. But a runaway would do just that, to maintain a sense of normality. What Li was carrying on her and what was going on in her life is unknown at the time. However, the release of a sketch of a person of interest indicates that there seems to be some suspicious behavior by someone. All we can do is hope that Li can one day come home, and that even after all this time she is not forgotten.


Above: Sketch of person of interest in Li's case

If you have any information on Li's wherebouts, please e-mail For The Lost at this address. Or you may call the Honolulu Police Department at 1-808-529-3115. All tips sent by e-mail will be kept confidential.


Information used to compile this case file comes from the following resources:
The National Center For Missing and Exploited Children
The Charley Project
The Doe Network
KMGB9 Hawaii
Honolulu Homicide: Murder and Mayhem in Paradise By Gary A. Dias and Robbie Dingeman
NamUs National Missing Persons Data System

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