THE MURDER OF ANNA MAE AQUASH
On February 24, 1976, Roger Amiotte, a rancher, was installing a fence when he saw a body at the bottom of a thirty-foot embankment. The land was at the northeast corner of the reservation, a few miles from Wanblee, South Dakota. The body had been revealed after the snow had melted away. The body was badly composed, curled in the fetal position, and still covered by a pair of jeans and a maroon ski jacket. The coroner, W. O Brown, conducted the autopsy. He documented that death had occurred ten days prior, and that she had died from exposure. The body was determined to be a Jane Doe. To identify the body, the hands were cut off and sent to the FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. for fingerprinting. A few days later, the body was buried in an unmarked grave in South Dakota as a Jane Doe.
A few hours after the burial, the FBI lab confirmed that the fingerprints from the dismembered hands belonged to Anna Mae Pictou Aquash….But who would want to murder the fiery Native American activist?
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF DIANE SUZUKI
A hard day teaching dance. Finish work and head to the beach. It’s an appealing prospect especially when that beach is the North Shore of Oahu, on the beautiful Hawaiian Islands. Whether it is standing by the ancient temple looking out to sea, having a coffee on any of the waterfront cafes or swimming in the warm blue ocean, the beach is one of those paradise-like places about which we all dream.
It might be a touch different today to what it was like back in the mid-1980s, but the ambience is little changed. On July 6th 1985, a talented and enthusiastic student planned to go to that beauty spot along with friends when she finished teaching her dance class at the Rosalie Woodson Dance Academy, located in the ‘Aiea district of Honolulu.
But Diane Yayoe Suzuki never made it. Her class finished at 3.00pm, but by the time her friend arrived fifteen minutes later, the student was missing. She has never been seen since.