https://www.facebook.com/1093757661/posts/10222496698101577/​

https://www.reddit.com/r/BlackLivesMatter/comments/idqq4v/justice_is_needed_for_julian_henry_heyward_a/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

Justice is needed for Julian Henry Heyward - a Black man found hanged on his porch in Hawai'i.

I put “content warning” as the flair for this, but I want to reiterate: tw // anti-black violence and death.

The following was posted by Julian Heyward’s son two days ago, about the events leading up to his father’s passing and why he still needs justice.

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(please read)

These are the toughest words I have ever had to write...

My father Julian Henry Heyward III went to be with the Lord sometime between August 5-10. He was last seen on the 5th and found on August 10th at his home in Maui. My father was the nicest, kindest, and sweetest person to all that knew him. He had his faults (like everyone), but he overcame some very big hurdles in life. He didn’t have many possessions (a minimalist) but had a wealth of family that loved him dearly. He also lived in paradise and got his dream car and living quarters earlier this year. He was a great artist and loved to swim in the ocean and dance. My Dad believed in community. He believed that the village should always take care of its people. He was attracted to a town called Haiku for this exact reason. He was 67 and woke up every day ready to meet new faces and gain new experiences. He was so excited because he recently met a woman and she brought him so much joy in his final days (thank you). He was truly the happiest I’d ever seen him. We talked almost every day. He recently told me that I was his best friend. I was so honored. But unfortunately, some people didn’t feel the same way about my father because of the color of his beautiful skin. When COVID-19 hit, my father could no longer find work to maintain his dream home. His landlord had no sympathy and began to immediately harass him. Knowing his rights, my Dad filed a police report and this is when things went terribly wrong. His landlord, in fact, was only leasing the home herself and illegally subleasing to my father. My father offered to apply for COVID-19 tenant relief and she refused to complete the paperwork and continued to harass my father. She began to turn this tight knit community against him and created a very hostile environment. The landlord illegally shut down his electricity and water to attempt to push him out. But he stood his ground. He filed another police report and she was ordered to turn the utilities back on. Then the property management company got wind of her illegal activity and scheduled an inspection on August 5th. The landlord sent threatening emails to other tenants telling them that my father “better have his shit out”. The day of the inspection he was ran off the road while riding his scooter and was later approached at his home by an unidentified man claiming to be the owner (the inspection was held by two woman earlier that day). My father frantically called me, his lawyer, and the authorities over the next 30 minutes - then all calls and cell phone activity stopped. My father went missing on August 5th for five days and was found hanged on his front porch on August 10th. The same day he was supposed to show up in court with the landlord. She won the case because he was a no show. The police initially ruled his death a suicide even though he filed two police reports and made numerous calls to them. His belongings were discarded three days later by the landlord just after we requested to take possession the day prior. She paid the “movers” with his kayak and scooter. My father is being cremated in the morning and I can’t be there because of COVID-19 and RACISM 2020 have taken him away from his family forever. Please pray for us. We are working with the local authorities and looking for a lawyer and private detective. I am devastated and just ask for your prayers. “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.” Romans‬ ‭12:19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

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This tragedy isn’t getting coverage on Hawai'i news sites, at least not that I’ve seen, and we must demand an investigation.

Here is the template to email the Maui Prosecutor’s office: [email template ](https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/11LKU-Z5btzdeZCvRsDmyx1WZNDbYIRGNmfRUUl9aXnk/mobilebasic

Here’s the link to Julian Heyward’s Facebook post: [Facebook Post](https://www.facebook.com/1093757661/posts/10222496698101577/?d=n

Maui Department in Wailuku +18082446400
Chief of Police is Tivoli Faaumu
(808) 244-6300
crs@mpd.net
Deputy Chief of Police is Dean Rickard
808) 244-6305
crs@mpd.net
The Department of the Prosecuting Attorney for the
County of Maui
(808) 270-7777 (Same # for Investigative Division )
prosecuting.attorney@mauicounty.gov
Prosecuting Attorney is Don S. Guzman
prosecuting.attorney@co.maui.hi.us