Maui soldier's death self-inflicted

Question: Was there an explanation for the death of Pvt. Eugene Kanakaole from Maui, who died while serving with the Army in Balad, Iraq, last June?

Answer: The Army said its investigation into the death of Kanakaole, who also was known as Eugene Manuel Tabile III, found that that he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Kanakaole, 19, was assigned to the 87th Engineer Company, 8th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade from Fort Hood, Texas, at the time of his death.

His family said he had been in Iraq for a month when he was found dead. He graduated from Maui High School in 2007.

Former UPW head jailed until 2012

Question: Has former United Public Workers union leader Gary Rodrigues started serving his federal sentence?

Answer: The former head of the UPW is serving his sentence in Taft Correctional Institution in Taft, Calif., in the foothills at the extreme southwestern edge of the San Joaquin Valley 30 miles west-southwest of Bakersfield.

Rodrigues was convicted of mail fraud, money laundering and embezzlement. He is due to be released Aug. 27, 2012.

His daughter, Robin Sabatini, who was convicted of mail fraud and money laundering in the same case, went to prison on Jan. 7, 2008. She is being held at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, Calif., 20 miles southeast of Oakland on the Camp Parks Army Reserve Forces Training Area Military Base. She is due to be released on May 9, 2011.

Star-Bulletin staff update was written by Gregg K. Kakesako. You can write us at What Ever Happened to… Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana, Suite 7-210, Honolulu 96813; call 529-4747; or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).