Found Deceased HI - Smriti Saxena, 41, asthma attack, husband left to get inhaler, Big Island, 18 Feb 2020 *arrest*

[GuyfromCanada]

A heartbroken husband is asking for the Big Island’s help locating his 41-year-old wife after the Seattle woman went missing late Tuesday from the shoreline when he went back to their Kohala Coast hotel room to fetch her inhaler.

Sonam Saxena said Wednesday he last saw Smriti Saxena around 10 p.m. Tuesday when he left her on a secluded beach area south of Anaehoomalu Bay to retrieve her asthma inhaler from their Waikoloa Beach Marriot Resort room. They had reached following can approximately 20-minute walk after enjoying libations at Lava Lava Beach Club.

More at Husband asks for public’s help locating missing wife - West Hawaii Today

The Hawaii Police Department seeks your help in locating Smriti Saxena, 41-year-old female, Indian, 5’2″, 102 pounds, fair complexion, wearing a black dress with multi-colored floral design and a black jacket.

She was last seen at the Lava Lava Beach Club in Waikoloa on February 18, 2020, at approximately 10:30 p.m.

If you have information on Saxena’s whereabouts, please call 911 or the non-emergency Dispatch line at 935-3311.

Hawaii island police seek help in locating missing woman

Noting discrepancy. First article states that a body was found in the area but it has not been identified yet.

 

[jbennett]

I have a lot of questions with this one. I’ve been to this area, stayed at the Marriott where their room was and walked both to the beach and Lava Lava Beach Club from the hotel. Neither is an easy walk. If someone I loved was having an asthma attack it would make more sense to walk out to the road and get a taxi than to try and make the walk back in good time. It’s a long walk sober in the daytime. It’s a secluded walk along the beach with tree trunks to go over and up and down little hills of sand. The Lava Lava Beach Club is even farther down the beach at an area that is not secluded and almost always busy. At night it would almost be impossible to walk from the beach they were at to the hotel because it is extremely dark and you have to navigate along the “beach trail.” IMO

 

[GuyfromCanada]

I have a lot of questions with this one. I’ve been to this area, stayed at the Marriott where there room was and walked both to the beach and Lava Lava Beach Club from the hotel. Neither is an easy walk. If someone I loved was having an asthma attack it would make more sense to walk out to the road and get a taxi than to try and make the walk back in good time. It’s a secluded walk along the beach with tree trunks to go over and up and down little hills of sand. The Lava Lava Beach Club is even farther down the beach at an area that is not secluded and almost always busy. At night it would almost be impossible to walk from the beach there were at to the hotel. IMO

Is it easy to get a taxi there? How fast would a taxi arrive?

 

[jbennett]

Is it easy to get a taxi there? How fast would a taxi arrive?

If they walked out to the road there’s another hotel or two right there and you could get a taxi easily at the hotel. When we were at that beach we actually walked up to use the hotel bathroom.

 

[Beth11311]

Hmmmm. I know the area as well. Curious to see what more comes to light.

 

[jbennett]

I found some photos from my time there.
First photo is during the walk along the beach from the Marriott to the beach. It is more of a trail than a leisurely beach walk. second photo is at the beach looking over towards the beach club. (The white roofs on the right hand side of the photo is the club.)
Last photo is the walk from the beach to the hotel closest to the beach where they could get a taxi or help.

 

[meanmaryjean]

Hinky-meter triggered.

 

[SAMS]

Hinky-meter triggered.

Double trigger. MOO

 

[GuyfromCanada]

Just a thought, maybe they didn't have their cell phones with them? That would explain why the husband went back to the hotel and didn't call a taxi right away.

 

[AmandaSkis]

You’d think if she were the type to suddenly need her inhaler, then she’d also be the type to keep one with her.

I wonder if there were any arguments to go along with the libations.

 

[unknown402]

Just a thought, maybe they didn't have their cell phones with them? That would explain why the husband went back to the hotel and didn't call a taxi right away.

Great thought, but husband said otherwise. Quote from the article in the OP

“
‘So, I said, ‘hey, you know what? You stay here, you have your phone with you and I’ll just go to the room grab your inhaler and pump and come back.’

“I did that. Went to the room, picked up the inhaler, came back, and she was missing,” Sonam Saxena said of Smriti Saxena, who is a business program manager for Microsoft.

He estimated he was gone for no more than 40 to 50 minutes as he tried to rush knowing that Smriti Saxena was uncomfortable and in need of her inhaler. At the secluded beach, her purse, phone, credit card and driver’s license were all there, but no sign of the woman whom he said he’s been in love with since 2001.”

 

[meanmaryjean]

Great thought, but husband said otherwise. Quote from the article in the OP

“
‘So, I said, ‘hey, you know what? You stay here, you have your phone with you and I’ll just go to the room grab your inhaler and pump and come back.’

“I did that. Went to the room, picked up the inhaler, came back, and she was missing,” Sonam Saxena said of Smriti Saxena, who is a business program manager for Microsoft.

He estimated he was gone for no more than 40 to 50 minutes as he tried to rush knowing that Smriti Saxena was uncomfortable and in need of her inhaler. At the secluded beach, her purse, phone, credit card and driver’s license were all there, but no sign of the woman whom he said he’s been in love with since 2001.”

Every female asthmatic I know keeps her rescue inhaler IN her purse.

 

[insearchoflight]

Body found in area where woman went missing - West Hawaii Today

Big Island detectives are investigating the discovery of a body in the area where a woman, who was reported missing late Tuesday night, was last seen in the Waikoloa Beach Resort area.

Area II Assistant Chief Robert Wagner confirmed Wednesday morning that detectives were in the area investigating. He didn’t provide additional details, including if the deceased is female or male, but stated “a body was located in the area she went missing.”

 

[SAMS]

Body found in area where woman went missing - West Hawaii Today

Big Island detectives are investigating the discovery of a body in the area where a woman, who was reported missing late Tuesday night, was last seen in the Waikoloa Beach Resort area.

Area II Assistant Chief Robert Wagner confirmed Wednesday morning that detectives were in the area investigating. He didn’t provide additional details, including if the deceased is female or male, but stated “a body was located in the area she went missing.”

An autopsy will tell a story. If it is her I hope what happened is revealed quickly. MOO

 

[unknown402]

From Husband asks for public’s help locating missing wife - West Hawaii Today

“The pair, married for 17 years with two children, ages 13 and 8, come to Hawaii every year to celebrate their eldest child’s birthday. Sonam Saxena said his children are with him as he searches for his wife” (bbm)

I had missed that somehow on the first read through. I wonder where the children were during this event? To have something happen to your mom on a vacation you were on for your birthday is horrible...

 

[floridamomma]

You’d think if she were the type to suddenly need her inhaler, then she’d also be the type to keep one with her.

I wonder if there were any arguments to go along with the libations.

Yes. My son uses his approximately 1x a month, but maybe 2x a year he NEEDS it. So he always has it with him...bc needing it once and having to call me to bring it taught him a quick lesson. He is 19 now.

 

[Beth11311]

From Husband asks for public’s help locating missing wife - West Hawaii Today

“The pair, married for 17 years with two children, ages 13 and 8, come to Hawaii every year to celebrate their eldest child’s birthday. Sonam Saxena said his children are with him as he searches for his wife” (bbm)

I had missed that somehow on the first read through. I wonder where the children were during this event? To have something happen to your mom on a vacation you were on for your birthday is horrible...

Oh no...that’s truly awful. Poor kids

 

[realanastasia]

Body was hers, I think—husband was arrested!

https://www.westhawaiitoday.com/2020/02/19/hawaii-news/husband-arrested-for-murder-after-body-discovered/amp/

 

[realanastasia]

Could failing to bring his wife her inhaler in time for her to, well, not stop breathing be grounds for a 2nd-degree murder charge (to be precise, he was arrested “on suspicion of second degree murder”)?

I think 40-50 minutes for him to go get the inhaler for her (per the article linked in my previous post) is an unusually long time...

ETA: The article states that the couple walked 20 minutes to the beach bar from their hotel, so if he went back to their room I guess that 40-50 minutes makes more sense.
But if you could afford to vacation in Hawaii every year with a family of 4, and your spouse had a medical emergency that required you to rush back to your hotel to get their medication, why on Earth wouldn’t you immediately hail a taxi or call for an Uber to get you there and back as quickly as possible?!

 

[GuyfromCanada]

Body was hers, I think—husband was arrested!

https://www.westhawaiitoday.com/2020/02/19/hawaii-news/husband-arrested-for-murder-after-body-discovered/amp/

Oh wow! That was quick.