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Slain woman
called a ‘spiritual’
nature lover

She had camped on Kauai
for years and often looked for
seashells, a friend says

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By Gary Kubota and Anthony Sommer
Star-Bulletin

PAIA, Maui -- Friends say Daren Singer was part of an alternative lifestyle subculture on Maui that enjoys spiritual outdoor retreats, and they weren't surprised she was camping on Kauai.

But they were shocked that she fell prey to a suspected serial murderer. They were also shocked at what seems to be a growing number of attacks upon lone women on the neighbor islands.

"I don't think it's something you really expect," said Teje Cuellar, a former roommate of Singer's.

Singer's partially clad body was found about noon Wednesday near Pakala Beach, a few miles from where another woman was raped and murdered and a third seriously injured in the spring.

Kauai police are still trying to determine how long Singer had been on Kauai. An undated journal they found indicated she had been camping at Anini Beach on the north shore before moving to the west-side beach.

They also are trying to find any members of Singer's family. Lt. Bill Ching said they have been told she has a sister in Virginia but they have been unable to locate her.

In May on Maui, Nancy E. Sirovitz was murdered while camping alone at Baldwin Beach Park on the outskirts of Paia. Police have arrested the alleged killer.

Cuellar said that while she wouldn't camp alone, she knows women who do and sees women routinely hitching rides in Paia.

Rasul Lozano, another friend, said Singer, who loved nature, has been camping for years on Kauai.

He said on her visits to the Garden Island, she would walk along the beaches to collect shells to make leis. She also was a Krishna devotee who took part in various outdoor religious retreats on Maui.

Singer played the tamboura and enjoyed East Indian classical music. "She was a very spiritual person," Lozano said. "She cared a lot about people."

Lozano said he believes the recent murders occurred probably because more people are coming to the islands and the peaceful atmosphere is changing to the point where it is no longer safe for women to be alone on the beach.

Cuellar said an airline ticket from Kauai to Maui doesn't cost much and she fears the murderer could be anywhere in Hawaii.

"People should be really careful," she said. "What makes us think it's so remote here?"

Inspector Mel Morris, head of the investigations division, said police plan to continue to canvass west-side communities with officers carrying pictures of Singer asking residents if anyone had seen her.

Singer, 43, a resident of Paia, Maui, was found raped and stabbed to death Wednesday on the remote beach where she had apparently been camping and surfing alone.

Lisa Bissell, 38, was found raped and stabbed to death on April 7 at nearby Polihale Beach, and on May 22, a woman was stabbed in an attempted rape in Kekaha, about midway between the two other crime scenes.

Mayor Maryanne Kusaka issued a brief statement expressing her "concern" and repeating police promises that a large number of officers will be cruising west-side communities in the next few weeks. Sixteen detectives have been assigned to the case and 10 patrolmen, mounted on everything from patrol cars to bicycles to horses, have been added to help scour the area for witnesses.

Lapaka Mansfield, general manager of Waimea Plantation Cottages, the only hotel in that part of the island, said he hired full-time security guards after the first two attacks last spring. Yesterday, he said, he asked security guards to remain "very visible" on the grounds at night and to escort women employees to and from their cars after dark.

He said the hotel is not giving visitors special precautions. "We always tell them to avoid going to remote places alone," he said.

"This is not like the west side. This is very bad," Mansfield said. "The community is very concerned. They seem to feel the whole west side has been violated."