He sent his grandmother photos the whole way up. Then the photos stopped.
On February 27, 2015, 18-year-old Daylenn "Moke" Pua set out to hike Oahu's Haiku Stairs — nearly 4,000 steel steps climbing the Koolau mountain range, closed to the public since 1987 and known to hikers as the "Stairway to Heaven." He never came back down.
A Warning, Ignored
Pua was visiting his grandmother, Martha Bear, in Waianae while on break from his senior year at Ke Kula 'O Ehunuikaimalino, a Hawaiian immersion school on the Big Island. When he told her he planned to hike the Stairway, she warned him it was closed and dangerous. He went anyway, taking an alternate route to avoid a section damaged by a landslide just over a week earlier — a landslide serious enough that it had stranded five other hikers who needed rescue.
He posted his plans on Facebook the day before: “Stairway to Heaven... hiking this insane hike tomorrow. Wish me luck.” When a commenter warned him about fines for trespassing, he brushed it off, noting there were ways up that avoided breaking the law.
The Last Photos
Around 11 a.m. on his hike, Pua sent photos of himself along the ridgeline to his family, confirming his location and progress. One of those images later drew intense public attention: in the background, partially obscured, was what appeared to be a crouching figure — quickly nicknamed the “shadow man” once the photo went public.
After that round of photos, nothing. No further texts, no further sightings, no trace.
The Search
The Honolulu Fire Department and U.S. Navy searched the area for five days before suspending official operations. Volunteers, family members, and donated helicopter pilots continued searching well beyond that, at one point rappelling 600 feet down the cliffs near the end of the Kulana'ahane Trail — the location of his final photo. Some hikers in the area that week reported hearing screams and cries for help, which extended the fire department's search by an extra day, though nothing came of it.
Pua's family later released the “shadow man” photo publicly, asking anyone who recognized the figure to come forward. No one ever did, and Honolulu Police never named a suspect.
Two Theories, No Answers
Investigators and the public have circled two main explanations ever since. The most straightforward: Pua fell on unstable, landslide-damaged terrain and was never recovered in the dense, steep valley below. The other, darker possibility, fueled by the shadow-man photo and the reported screams: that someone else was on that trail with him.
Without remains, without a confirmed suspect, and without any confirmed sighting since that morning, neither theory has ever been proven.
The Stairs Are Gone Now
In 2024, nearly a decade after Pua vanished, the City and County of Honolulu began dismantling the Haiku Stairs entirely, ending years of legal and political disputes over the site's future. The removal closes off one possible route to ever finding physical evidence tied to his disappearance, though it may also finally end the flow of trespassing hikers drawn to the same trail that took him.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Daylenn Pua ever been found?
No. There has been no confirmed sighting, and no remains have ever been recovered.
Who is the “shadow man” in the photo?
Unknown. Despite public appeals, no one has ever come forward to identify the figure, and police never named a suspect.
Is the Haiku Stairs trail still open?
No. The stairs were dismantled starting in 2024 after years of disputes over public access, safety, and cost.
What's the leading theory in his disappearance?
Investigators have never confirmed a cause. The most commonly cited theory is an accidental fall on landslide-damaged terrain, though the case remains officially unsolved.
Sources
The Disturbing Disappearance of Daylenn Pua from Hawaii's Stairway to Heaven Walkway — StrangeOutdoors.com
https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/mysterious-stories-blog/daylenn-pua
The Mysterious Case of Daylenn Pua, the Teenager Who Vanished While Hiking Hawaii's Forbidden Haiku Stairs — All That's Interesting
https://allthatsinteresting.com/daylenn-pua
Hikers 'Traumatised' by Chilling Scream They Heard When Teenager Who Sent Photo of 'Shadow Man' Went Missing — LADbible
https://www.ladbible.com/news/world-news/daylenn-pua-disappearance-hawaii-haiku-stairs-scream-698212-20241015
Daylenn Moke Pua — The Charley Project
https://charleyproject.org/case/daylenn-moke-pua