Hell in Hawaii

Summary

Fear Thy Neighbor – "Hell in Hawaii" (May 4, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this gripping episode of Fear Thy Neighbor, the podcast journeys into the heart of the seemingly idyllic Diamond Head neighborhood near Waikiki Beach, Hawaii. What begins as a tale of generosity and community spirit quickly spirals into a nightmare for residents when an eccentric live-in tenant’s paranoia and mental deterioration result in escalating conflict, culminating in a shocking and tragic act of violence. The story, told through interviews with victims, neighbors, family, and law enforcement, exposes how an ordinary neighborhood can become the setting for unimaginable horror.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Life in Diamond Head (02:02–04:41)

• The Diamond Head community is described as tight-knit, friendly, and imbued with the "Aloha spirit."
  • Rebecca Atkinson (03:38): “It’s like paradise, you know. Everyone’s happy because it’s full of blue skies and we’re right by the ocean... There is the Aloha spirit. Everyone will care for each other.”
  • Stephanie Sophos (03:51): “When you walk down the street, you always see someone. You know, you’re always invited for a cocktail… It’s a place you really love to be in.”

Lois Kane and the Arrival of Yarda (04:03–05:48)

• Lois Kane, a beloved widow with a reputation for generosity, invites Yaroslav “Yarda” Hanel, a friendly Czech immigrant and local handyman, to live in her home rent-free in exchange for work on her house and garden.
• Yarda becomes an integral part of community life, helping neighbors and endearing himself to many.

Early Warning Signs of Trouble (06:43–08:36)

• First clues of Yarda’s unpredictability emerge when he reacts angrily to something innocuous (refusing to have his photograph taken, growing increasingly private).
  • Janice Morrow (07:29): “He didn’t like his picture taken at all. He’d go ballistic if you tried. He was really private.”
• Lois must leave to care for her ailing mother, leaving Yarda alone to care for her property. Over time, his behavior turns odd and controlling.

Paranoia and Escalation (08:36–14:14)

• Yarda grows intensely suspicious of tourists and neighbors, seeing them as spies (often, “KGB”); he patrols the neighborhood and demands tourists erase their photos.
  • Yarda (09:54): “The KGB is watching every move I make.”
  • Stephanie Sophos (10:06): “He was born in the Czech Republic... escaped... but in his adopted country, the expat remains haunted by old ghosts.”
• After losing his condo job due to confrontational behavior, Yarda starts obsessively surveilling the neighborhood, donning Google glasses and carrying a GoPro.
  • David Hayakawa (12:06): “He’d always have cameras on… either clipped to his shirt or mounted on his hat.”

Neighborhood Tensions Rise (15:05–19:49)

• Yarda installs more cameras, becomes more territorial, and switches from neighborly to intimidating.
  • Janice Morrow (15:11): “Everybody eventually became scared of him… There were cameras there… cameras everywhere.”
• Conflict escalates with neighbor Warren Daniel over property disputes and surveillance, leading to a physical confrontation and restraining orders.
  • David Hayakawa (17:20): “[Yarda] ended up shoving Mr. Daniels into a tree.”
  • Assault charges are dismissed, but the atmosphere is toxic.
• Yarda gets a dog (Butch), briefly improving his mood, but continues harassing Warren within the limits of the law (e.g., provoking with barbecues, smoke).

Targeting Neighbor Rebecca (20:16–22:58)

• Yarda shifts his focus to another neighbor, Rebecca Atkinson, after becoming convinced she is spying on him.
  • He records her, follows her, and refuses to heed social boundaries.
  • Rebecca Atkinson (21:39): “He’s following me. As a woman, I felt just horrible… What if he’s, like, posting them on his wall like a crazy person?”

Community & Legal Frustration (22:53–24:09)

• Rebecca is unable to secure a full restraining order as Yarda never physically threatens her; instead, a non-binding “gentleman’s agreement” is attempted but ignored.
  • Rebecca Atkinson (22:58): “He would stand in the middle of the road, so he wasn’t on the sidewalk. Sometimes I just felt so defeated…”

Loss, Decline, and Weapon Discovery (24:09–26:43)

• Butch’s death deeply affects Yarda, leading him into isolation and further mental decline. He stages a public funeral for the dog, which neighbors find disturbing.
  • Stephanie Sophos (24:09): “That’s how much he loved that dog. Butch was the only thing keeping him in touch with reality. After he died, he just went into solitude and darkness.”
• Yarda requests Lois fund a dog cloning and grows resentful when she refuses.
• Neighbor Janice discovers Yarda’s illegal weapons cache, including unregistered guns and a grenade, illegal under terms of his restraining order.
  • David Hayakawa (26:23): “[He] was prohibited under federal law from having a weapon.”

Harassment Escalates; Enforcement Fails (26:50–29:55)

• Yarda’s harassment grows more disruptive — chasing cars, intimidating neighbors, repeated 911 calls (often while intoxicated).
  • David Hayakawa (27:02): “Warren couldn't even go check his mail...without having a stressful occurrence every time.”
• The legal system struggles to stop the harassment; Lois is now overwhelmed, facing the threat of lawsuits from other neighbors for Yarda’s behavior.

Lois’s Breaking Point & Eviction Attempts (30:26–32:39)

• Lois, after allowing another family to stay with her and being reduced to a single bedroom, finally demands Yarda’s eviction after he flagrantly disregards her anti-smoking rule.
  • Janice Morrow (31:16): “[He] just got another one and lit up again, like, ‘You’re not telling me what to do. F you.’ And that’s when she said, that’s it. You’re out of here.”
• Yarda refuses to leave, barricades parts of the house, and resists eviction.

Looming Violence and Climax (32:39–41:20)

• Despite eviction proceedings, Yarda remains—community tension is at a breaking point and Stephanie Sophos voices grave concern:
  • Stephanie Sophos (32:48): “He doesn’t have any place to go. He’s going to be homeless…when people are desperate, they do desperate things.”
• On January 19, 2020 (35:21–43:10), tragedy strikes:
  • Lois goes to the basement; Yarda attacks her with a shovel.
  • Upstairs tenant Gisela King hears the commotion, attempts to call 911, is brutally stabbed by Yarda.
  • Army vet Ian Felix and other neighbors intervene to help Gisela.
  • Honolulu PD officers Enriquez and Calama are ambushed by Yarda, shot and killed.
  • Yarda sets the house on fire as tactical police respond—resulting conflagration destroys seven homes and threatens more (39:32–41:20).
  • Yarda and Lois perish in the fire; Gisela survives. The two officers do not.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Rebecca Atkinson, on the shift in her neighborhood:
  • “We’ll never bring back people, and we’ll never bring back what we loved, which was an innocence of having all of us together and trusting each other.” (42:36)
• Janice Morrow, on survivor’s guilt and loss:
  • “He could have... I was there for three weeks. I mean, he could have killed all of us, you know. My mom felt right away that he waited. He heard me leave… But I’ll never know if it was just God’s grace or if he really saw me.” (41:33–42:08)
• Stephanie Sophos, reflecting on sacrifice:
  • “God bless those two officers that died for us. They came to help us and they gave the ultimate sacrifice.” (41:20)
• David Hayakawa, on the loss:
  • “My house is gone and all my possessions, but it’s nothing compared to these families of these officers.” (42:08)

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Important Timeline & Timestamps

• Community harmony (02:02–04:41)
• Yarda becomes Lois's live-in tenant (04:41–05:48)
• First indications of paranoia (07:11–08:36)
• Increasing erratic behavior and surveillance (08:36–12:14)
• Physical confrontation with Warren (17:06–17:34)
• Harassment of Rebecca (20:25–22:04)
• Loss of Yarda’s dog, growing instability (24:09–25:17)
• Discovery of illegal weapons (26:04–26:43)
• Failed attempts at legal intervention (27:31–29:55)
• Lois gives Yarda her eviction notice (31:23–31:30)
• Yarda refuses to leave, barricades himself (31:47–32:39)
• Fatal rampage begins (35:21–36:11)
• Police ambush, house fire, and aftermath (37:13–42:54)

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Tone & Style

The episode combines empathetic, first-person community accounts with chilling detail. The tone shifts from sunny nostalgia to mounting dread, mirroring the transformation of the neighborhood from paradise to catastrophe. Multiple voices share how what seemed eccentric or harmless behavior escalated into tragedy, and a sense of regret, shock, and communal grief pervades the final segments.

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Conclusion

Hell in Hawaii reveals the deadly consequences that can result from overlooked warning signs, untreated mental illness, and failed interventions. The episode is a cautionary tale that challenges assumptions about safety and community trust, demonstrating how quickly a neighbor can become the person you fear most.

Transcript

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[Narrator]

most violent crimes that capture the public's imagination are about serial killers, mass shooters, or crimes of passion. Yet some of the most shocking conflicts we encounter are between everyday neighbors in ordinary neighborhoods. We're in a wealthy enclave of the breathtaking Aloha State. It's where a big hearted widow has offered an old friend sanctuary in her home. Between his delightful company and the work he does around her place, it's a beautiful arrangement. Even better, the neighbors all seem to love him too, at least initially. Paradise doesn't last long. As the old friend grows increasingly paranoid, tensions rise, leaving the entire neighborhood fearful of what will come next. Yet in their wildest dreams, no one could predict the horrific violence that will eventually rain down on them. This is fear thy neighbor. Hell in Hawaii. Just minutes from the sands of Waikiki beach, the beautiful Diamond Head neighborhood radiates Hawaii's warm and generous nature. Residents Rebecca Atkinson and Stephanie Sophos sing its praises.

[Rebecca Atkinson]

It's like paradise, you know, everyone's happy because it's full of blue skies and we're right by the ocean. In Hawaii, you know, there is the Aloha spirit. Everyone will care for each other. The community spirit is really nice.

[Stephanie Sophos]

When you walk down the street, you always see someone. You know, you're always invited for a cocktail on the side. We're very, very close. It's a place that you really love to be in.

[Narrator]

Hibiscus Drive is home to retired university librarian Lois Kane. She's remained very active since her husband's passing, says close friend Janice Morrow.

[Janice Morrow]

Lois was probably the most outgoing, extroverted, fun, bubbly person. You know, I've super, super bright and super energetic.

[Stephanie Sophos]

She just adored her friends. And she was very kind, almost to a fault because she would meet people on the street and bring them home and give them a place to live for months at a time. That's how she was. She's very generous, very nice.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

I put here. Yes, yes, yes.

[Narrator]

No one benefits from Lois's warmth and hospitality more than Yaroslav Hanel, known to everyone as Yarda. Yarda's the caretaker at the condominiums where Lois used to live. When Yarda finds himself in need of a new place to live, Lois wastes no time opening her home to him.

[Stephanie Sophos]

Yarda came and lived with her downstairs and she lived upstairs.

[Narrator]

And just like that, an arrangement is struck. Yarda resides at Lois's rent free, and in return he works on her home and garden.

[Stephanie Sophos]

They had a very strong relationship. I think she looked at him more like a son than anything else. And he helped her, he took care of her. I mean, he, he really maintained the house.

[Narrator]

Lois's tenant endears himself to everyone he meets.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

Hey, hey, hey, hey. I got something for you.

[Narrator]

Like Lois's neighbor across the street, Jen,

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

Tima, this is for you and your family to plant at home.

[Janice Morrow]

He did a lot of nice things for the neighbors for many years.

[Paige Desorbo]

Thank you.

[Liv Perez]

And thank you for fixing this thing.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

Oh, my pleasure.

[Janice Morrow]

Of if anybody needed help around the house, he was this big, strong guy who could fix things. They liked him a lot because everywhere I went with him, people were like, hey, Yarda. It was almost they adored him.

[Narrator]

Real estate broker Warren Daniel lives right next door with his two young daughters. Hey, Yarda. Here's Warren's attorney, David Hayakawa. As David explains, Warren is similarly held in high regard within the community.

[David Hayakawa]

Warren had terrific relationships with all his neighbors. He would just be the good neighbor and help out.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

Don't forget the barbecue tomorrow, Warren.

[Narrator]

You betcha. When the hibiscus drive neighbors aren't helping out. They're hanging out at one of Lois many get togethers.

[Stephanie Sophos]

Yarda would barbecue and he'd stand there all day long barbecuing and talking to people. He was the best. And it was really a lovely, lovely time. Those are wonderful memories for me.

[Narrator]

But at one particular party, things take a strange turn. Janice Morrow is visiting the island to spend time with her dear friend Lois. Here she is to explain what happens next.

[Janice Morrow]

Every break, I went back and I stayed with her for two to three weeks at a time.

[Stephanie Sophos]

Janice looked at Lois like a second mom.

[Narrator]

Janice also knows Yarda, and they have a very friendly relationship.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

Ah, hello. Hello. I love the hat.

[Narrator]

But when she asks to take his photograph, he suddenly turns dark.

[Janice Morrow]

I want a picture.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

No, no, no picture.

[Narrator]

Come on, just no photo.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

I want to be. No, no, no, no, no. I said no photo. I meant it, ok?

[Janice Morrow]

He didn't like his picture taken at all. He'd go ballistic if you tried. He was really private.

[Narrator]

What's wrong with him?

[Stephanie Sophos]

I've never seen him like this.

[Narrator]

Yet. Yarda's bizarre outburst is soon forgotten, especially when more pressing concerns arise.

[Janice Morrow]

Lois mother got sick. She was in her 90s and she was progressively getting worse. She adored her mom.

[Narrator]

Lois's mother lives in San Diego. There's no question Lois has to go to her immediately. Yarda steps up with comfort and assurance.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

You go. I take care of everything.

[Stephanie Sophos]

Thank you, Yarda.

[Janice Morrow]

So Lois moved to San Diego. I think she expected to be there about six months to a year.

[Narrator]

With his new friend and landlord away indefinitely and Janice now back home, Yarda is left alone and in charge of Lois's house. As Janice explains, Yarda's presence comes as a big relief to Lois. In her time of need, she Liked

[Janice Morrow]

knowing that he was there because he could, you know, take care of the yard, send her her mail, or if anything came up, he could just take care of it.

[Narrator]

Yet as months go by, Yarda's caretaking begins to extend beyond the house and into the entire neighborhood, Especially when he thinks he's being invaded. Attorney David Hayakawa explains.

[David Hayakawa]

Tourists would walk from Waikiki, and they're trying to get the lookout overlooking this diamond head, all the surf below. So there's always these tourists walking through the neighborhood.

[Narrator]

Many of the tourists trek near the property line to take pictures of the beautiful vista. And it's something that sets Yarda.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

Hey, what are you doing?

[David Hayakawa]

In Yarda's mind, I believe he visualized himself as the neighborhood watchman who was gonna protect the entire neighborhood from strangers.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

No.

[David Hayakawa]

And especially tourists.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

Erase him now.

[Stephanie Sophos]

He would walk up to the tourists and demand that they erase those photographs.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

Go. They are watching us. Go, go, go, go, go, go. No.

[Narrator]

Friend and close neighbor Stephanie Sophos tries to calm the waters.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

Is everything okay, Yarda?

[Stephanie Sophos]

I said, why are you doing that? They're not hurting you. Why are you doing that?

[Narrator]

Yarda gives an alarming answer.

[Stephanie Sophos]

He said, they're kgb. They're following me. They're watching me.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

The KGB is watching every move I make.

[Narrator]

To the residents of Diamondhead, the notion of KGB spies is absurd. But Yarda has a dramatic history.

[Stephanie Sophos]

You have to understand Yarda in that he was born in the Czech Republic and he went into the Czech army. He didn't want to be in the communist country anymore, and he escaped, and he went to Germany and asked for asylum to America.

[Narrator]

Yet in his adopted country, the expat remains haunted by old ghosts. And now there's something else stoking his anger.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

I lost my job at the condo.

[David Hayakawa]

What? Oh, I'm so sorry.

[Stephanie Sophos]

He was fired from that job because he got very gruff with a couple of owners. He was very rude. He was just rah, rah, rah, rah, rah. He would just bark to them in his rough English, and people didn't like that, and they fired him.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

The KGB is behind this too.

[Narrator]

There seems no way to convince Yarda he's not being monitored.

[Stephanie Sophos]

He was really getting a little bit sketchy, but it was manageable. I said, yarda, no one's here to hurt you. No one cares.

[Narrator]

Without his job at the condo, Yarda finds himself with more time on his hands. So he throws himself deeper into his work. On Lois's home,

[Stephanie Sophos]

He didn't have a job. He was home all day. It was a historic house, so it needed a lot of work, and the

[Narrator]

handyman becomes increasingly obsessed with keeping trespassers out of the neighborhood. Neighbor Rebecca Atkinson bears witness.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

Hey. You have no business being here.

[Rebecca Atkinson]

He would approach cars with people just parked on the street. Hey. And pretty much being aggressive and asking like what are they doing there?

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

Hey, hey, hey. Why are you spying? Here you go away.

[Narrator]

Keep going.

[Rebecca Atkinson]

He would have these Google glasses on and then these big sunglasses in front of them to kind of hide them. But you can see him like managing it, taking video. It was really odd to see Yarda walking around the neighborhood like that.

[David Hayakawa]

It may be crazy. He'd have his GoPro either clipped to his shirt or a little mount on his hat or carrying it. He'd always have cameras on.

[Narrator]

Residents of Hibiscus Drive consider that Yarda could be afflicted with PTSD from his time in the Czech army, but whatever is fueling his paranoia, this once happy community is about to become a living hell.

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[Narrator]

As neighbor Janice Morrow explains, the once peaceful neighborhood is now on edge.

[Janice Morrow]

Everybody eventually became scared of him. He put cameras up. He thought people were spying on him. There were cameras on the porch, down the driveway, up to the side stairs, through the kitchen. There was cameras there. There was cameras at the bottom of the driveway. He had cameras pointed everywhere.

[David Hayakawa]

You can imagine sitting in his man cave downstairs watching these cameras, waiting for them to come at him.

[Stephanie Sophos]

Yarda would stay at home and watch his security cameras. I thought when I saw this that, oh, this is not good. This is not going to end well.

[Janice Morrow]

The longer he stayed at Lois's, he became kind of territorial, like it was his house. He could be very intimidating.

[Narrator]

As tensions grow in the neighborhood, Lois remains on the mainland tending to her ailing mother. Even when news of Yarda's recent erratic behavior makes it back to her, Lois stands by her tenant.

[Janice Morrow]

She did feel bad for the neighbors, you know, that they were having to deal with all this. But here she is taking care of her mom. I think it was just so overwhelming for her.

[Stephanie Sophos]

She would protect him, and when people criticized him, she would defend him no matter what.

[Narrator]

But defending Yarda is going to get harder and harder. On one occasion, next door neighbor Warren Daniel finds some of his garden plants have been hacked to pieces.

[Stephanie Sophos]

I can tell you that Yarda didn't like his neighbors on both sides. He didn't like Warren Daniel.

[Narrator]

To protect himself, Warren has started documenting Yarda's trail of harassment, which includes the handyman using his cameras to spy on Warren's home.

[Janice Morrow]

Their houses were super close, so if I was Warren, I wouldn't want all these cameras pointing at me.

[Narrator]

But his efforts turn out to be like throwing a match on gasoline.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

How dare you take photos. No. No photograph.

[Janice Morrow]

He really went crazy that Warren had come down and taken photos.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

You do not take photos. My problem. Give it to me. The camera. You go easy.

[David Hayakawa]

He ended up shoving Mr. Daniels into a tree.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

Don't take pictures.

[Narrator]

The neighborhood eccentric has just crossed a line. Warren calls police, and Yarda is charged with third degree assault.

[Janice Morrow]

I don't know if they were provoking each other, but Warren said that Yarda pushed him, broke his shoulder.

[David Hayakawa]

He had been attacked. He had been confronted numerous times, destroyed plants, harassing workers. Then he filed a restraining order.

[Narrator]

Warren's tro, or temporary restraining order, states Yarda has to stay off his property and is not allowed to contact, threaten, or pester him. Yet even after the incident, Yarda still hasn't burned all his bridges in the neighborhood.

[Rebecca Atkinson]

I think the neighbors were more sympathetic toward Yarda because he was a caretaker living there. And Warren is a very successful real estate agent in town. And maybe people just felt like he was some rich guy in the neighborhood picking on Yarda.

[Narrator]

Eventually, the assault charges against Yarda are dismissed, but still tension is brewing.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

Come get the ball.

[Narrator]

When Yarda brings a dog named Butch into his life, neighbors including Stephanie Sophos, hope the furry friends will finally help him calm down.

[Stephanie Sophos]

He would go from morning to evening with that dog. They would play in the park, they'd be on the beach. They did everything together.

[Narrator]

With Butch in the picture, Yarda seems happier than he has in ages. But he doesn't forget the neighbor who filed a restraining order against him.

[David Hayakawa]

All of a sudden, there's Yarda with his dog running right up to them. He'd throw the ball right by these people, so the dog would run right up to them.

[Narrator]

Yarda, leave us alone, please. Yarda finds inventive ways to respect the letter while still getting under his neighbor's skin.

[David Hayakawa]

One of the most egregious examples of Mr. Hahnel's fixation on just harassing Mr. Daniels was he had this little platform and he put a barbecue on top of it and filled that barbecue with wet leaves and lighter fluid and would light it so that this billowing smoke would just come into the Daniel's house, the property, and everything else.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

Yara, stop.

[Narrator]

This is intimidation.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

It is perfectly legal.

[David Hayakawa]

So that's just one example of the kind of thing we had to go back to court for.

[Narrator]

When Warren Daniel is granted amendments to his tro, Yarda is inside by the new restrictions.

[David Hayakawa]

And the judge basically said, you can't do this. Smoke. The dog must be under leash. Security cameras cannot be pointed at Warren's house. And then he cannot be filming with his own GoPro in the area in front of the houses.

[Narrator]

I Artick finally backs away from confronting Warren, but soon finds a new obsession in the neighborhood. Rebecca Atkinson.

[Rebecca Atkinson]

I would always be walking down the street and I'D be texting or playing a game on my phone. He didn't like that I had a phone in my hand because he felt like that was me recording him. No one could have imagined this happening.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

You were taking photos of my house. Why?

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[Rebecca Atkinson]

Can you stop, please?

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

No.

[Narrator]

I'll call the police.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

I don't care. I am not breaking the law.

[Rebecca Atkinson]

So he just started videoing and taking pictures. And he started to put the camera right in front of my face. And Jen, who lives across the street, saw him, and she called out, yarda, what are you doing? She's your neighbor.

[Narrator]

Yarda.

[Janice Morrow]

Hey.

[Narrator]

Rebecca lives here. Yarda, put that down now.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

She is kgb. She's watching my house.

[Stephanie Sophos]

No, she's not.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

Yes, she is.

[Paige Desorbo]

Yarda.

[Narrator]

She lives here. Come on.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

I know this woman is kgb.

[Narrator]

Yarda.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

She's kgb.

[Stephanie Sophos]

No.

[Rebecca Atkinson]

But he just kept doing it. I just kept trying to avoid him, but it was really difficult. Please, I'm begging you.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

Leave me alone.

[Stephanie Sophos]

He was going up into her house, taking pictures of her constantly.

[Rebecca Atkinson]

I'm calling the police. It became clear that I really needed the law on my side because I couldn't do anything.

[Sponsor Voice]

It's my neighbor. He won't leave me alone.

[Rebecca Atkinson]

He's following me. As a woman, I felt just horrible. And I just wondered, what is he doing with these pictures? Is he posting them all on his wall like a crazy person? What if he's, like, x' ing out my eyes or my face? Or he's just, like, being obsessed with me?

[Narrator]

As Becca explains, while all the people in the community seem sympathetic to her, they're not exactly supportive.

[Rebecca Atkinson]

All the neighbors that I talked to, including Lois, they all kind of had the same thing about him being harmless. They just kind of accepted his behavior as very odd and not nice and thinking it wouldn't go any further. So I actually moved towards getting a restraining order.

[Narrator]

While his near constant surveillance is no doubt unsettling for Becca, he never threatens or lays his hands on her. So the court denies her request to rein him in.

[Rebecca Atkinson]

Taking my picture on a public sidewalk in public places was totally legal, but the judge and the attorneys had the idea of signing a gentleman's agreement that listed about 12 different things, and it included not walking on the sidewalk in front of each other's homes, not taking each other's pictures or video, basically staying away from each other.

[Narrator]

Yarda signs the agreement, but he doesn't honor it. And Rebecca's nightmare keeps spiraling.

[Rebecca Atkinson]

He would stand in the middle of the road, so he wasn't on the sidewalk. Sometimes I just felt so defeated about it, I couldn't do anything about it.

[Narrator]

Lois Kane's tenant remains the protector of all he surveys, Whether the neighbors like it or not. And it's about to get a whole lot worse. In October 2018, Lois's mother passes away in California, allowing Lois to finally return home, but not to any peace and quiet.

[Rebecca Atkinson]

Please, you have to do something.

[Janice Morrow]

You don't know him like I do.

[David Hayakawa]

You have no idea what he's done.

[Narrator]

My daughters are afraid to leave the house.

[Janice Morrow]

I think she felt when they were complaining about Yarda, that they were making more of it than it was.

[Stephanie Sophos]

Maybe if you left him alone.

[Janice Morrow]

I think that Lois felt that Warren was exacerbating the situation with Yarda by getting that restraining order.

[Narrator]

The conflict is locked in a stalemate. Then tragedy strikes when Yarda's beloved Butch dies, utterly distraught. Yarda wants his best friend mourned and honored by the whole neighborhood. Stephanie sophos and Janice Morrow explain.

[Stephanie Sophos]

He built the coffin for the dog, and he had the coffin and the dog on the front yard of the house so that people could go by and mourn his dog. That's how much he loved that dog. Butch was the only thing keeping him in touch with reality. And after he died, he just went into solitude and darkness, and he got more and more dark.

[Janice Morrow]

He wanted Lois to give him $50,000 to clone Butch. He had read that Barbra Streisand, that singer, had cloned her dog into three other dogs or something like that. So he was convinced that he could clone Butch. And then he asked for another dog. And she said no, no, she never wanted dogs to. To begin with. Like I said, I had known her. She had never had pets at the house.

[Narrator]

While the dog's public funeral is initially seen as unusual by the neighbors, an owl poses a much more potent problem.

[Stephanie Sophos]

Then after the fourth day, he started to smell, and he wouldn't remove it. So Lois called the people who take animals, and they took the dog.

[Narrator]

In the midst of Yarda's loss, Janice Morrow makes another one of her yearly visits from the mainland to visit the Lois. And during her trip, she makes sure to spend time with Yarda and commiserate with him.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

He was such a good dog, you see.

[Stephanie Sophos]

Yeah.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

But on this occasion, Janice has more pressing concerns to discuss with her old friend Yarda.

[Janice Morrow]

I was in a store that got robbed. I was held at gunpoint. I got scared, and I started thinking maybe I should get a gun. And so I was asking him questions about guns.

[Stephanie Sophos]

What kind of gun should I get?

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

Maybe a shotgun. What do you think of this? Heavy.

[Janice Morrow]

So he pulled out a few guns, and he showed me he collected machetes, and then he pulled out a grenade. I thought it was strange. I was like, is that real?

[Narrator]

Janice has no idea. A yard as large so stash of weapons is illegal. Attorney David Hayakawa explains.

[David Hayakawa]

These guns were not registered under the restraining order. He was prohibited under federal law from having a weapon.

[Janice Morrow]

Lois never mentioned, you know, Yarda having guns or weapons or anything. So I don't think she ever even thought about it. She felt that he was harmless. She thought he was eccentric and, you know, you know, a little bit paranoid.

[Narrator]

But for many neighbors, Yarda has long surpassed eccentric and become something much worse.

[Rebecca Atkinson]

He started doing all these other random things to me, like chasing my car on foot. My heart was pounding, and I felt very violated, and I wasn't sure. How can you always avoid him if he's around the neighborhood, too?

[David Hayakawa]

Warren couldn't even go check his mail without kind of walking a little side route there and peering around the corner to see if Yarda's hiding there. When you have that level of fear slash concern, slash being freaked out by the strange man next door, where you. You can't get your mail without having a stressful occurrence every single time, that takes an emotional toll on you.

[Narrator]

When Warren Daniels temporary restraining order expires and Yarda shows no signs of letting up, he joins forces with neighbor Rebecca Atkinson.

[Rebecca Atkinson]

We're just at a loss. And he said, okay, why don't we use the same attorney, and let's work on this together?

[Narrator]

Warren and Rebecca submit new filings, and the court grants both new temporary restraining orders.

[Rebecca Atkinson]

And they finally gave me the TRO So he would have to stay away from me. He wasn't allowed to have firearms. He wasn't allowed to take my picture or video anymore.

[Narrator]

The courts can compel Yarda to change his ways, but they can't change his state of mind.

[Stephanie Sophos]

His behavior, if anything, just got more dark. He became more of a recluse. He just stayed in that house, and he watched those cameras.

[Narrator]

And now there's something else stirring up this toxic mix.

[Stephanie Sophos]

Yarda had shoulder surgery for his rotator cuff. So he had a busted shoulder, and they were giving him painkillers, but he was also drinking. That's a bad combination, drinking and painkillers. You're in pain, you're drinking, you're given some drugs, and you're angry.

[Narrator]

Wanting to lash out at his enemies, Yarda makes a series of drunken 911 calls complaining about the Daniel family. What follows is an actual police body cam recording.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

Did you call 91 1? I did complain. What is your complaint? They come only dead over there. I just came from there. There's nobody there.

[Rebecca Atkinson]

Jerry, we checked the area.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

You went over there.

[Stephanie Sophos]

We checked it and it's fine.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

You are going to arrest me?

[Narrator]

Not necessarily.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

Oh well, go on.

[Liv Perez]

He's gotten naked.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

You are drunk right now.

[Rebecca Atkinson]

You are completely drunk right now.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

You have broken the law. I broke their law. What kind of law? Misuse of 911. So we're gonna cite you.

[Rebecca Atkinson]

He kept calling 911 over and over again. And at that point they arrested him for obstructing justice.

[Narrator]

Lois rescues yarda from trouble as she has with increasing frequency since her return. Yet even this kind hearted soul is starting to reach her limit.

[Janice Morrow]

She had even gone to court for him. It's so expensive and it's so time consuming and it was just draining her physically. Their relationship went south because she was just getting constant emails and calls and having to deal with it.

[Stephanie Sophos]

She was more concerned that some of the neighbors were threatening to sue her. She had the lawyers sending her letters that they were going to sue her and take her house if she didn't do something about yarda.

[Narrator]

In the midst of all this stress, Lois's home life gets even more complicated.

[Stephanie Sophos]

Hey, lois.

[Narrator]

Lois decides to once again open her home to someone in need. A friend named Gisela king moves in with her son and husband. While they're looking for a new home.

[Stephanie Sophos]

The kings were living upstairs, Yarda was living downstairs. And lois was reduced to one bedroom in her own house. And so she wanted to have her house back.

[Janice Morrow]

It just was escalating more and more and more issues.

[Narrator]

The breaking point for Lois is triggered by a seemingly minor incident.

[Janice Morrow]

She didn't like smoking at her house. And one time she was upstairs and she smelled smoke and she went down and told him to put a cigarette out.

[Stephanie Sophos]

I said, no smoking, Yarda.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

Whatever. Hey.

[Janice Morrow]

And then he just got another one and lit up again, like, you're not telling me what to do. F you. And that's when she said, that's it. You're out of here.

[Stephanie Sophos]

You have 30 days to move out. I mean it. You're gone.

[Narrator]

Easy to say. Unfortunately, not so easy to do.

[Janice Morrow]

Everybody thought he was moving out because he had been moving boxes. So Lois really thought he was going to leave.

[Narrator]

But when moving day arrives, Lois finds yarda's living area barricaded shut.

[Janice Morrow]

He completely locked her out so that just turned into a war.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

Yarda, go away. I'm not leaving.

[Stephanie Sophos]

I'll evict you. Do you want that?

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

You want to kick me out? Do it.

[Janice Morrow]

She was angry and frustrated.

[Narrator]

Pushed to her limit, Lois finally hires an eviction lawyer when Janice Morrow flies in from California. Two weeks later, Yarda is still bunkered in Lois and now he's locked Lois out of her basement office.

[Janice Morrow]

And she was in the process of crawling through the window and I was like, what's going on?

[Narrator]

Oh my gosh.

[Rebecca Atkinson]

Are you okay? Are you?

[Stephanie Sophos]

Yes, thank you.

[Janice Morrow]

It was a horrific situation. I thought was she that she'd get hurt with her bad heart, that she'd fall, break a hip or the window would slam on her. That basically he'd trap her.

[Narrator]

The courts grant Lois a hearing in her eviction request and Yarda is ordered to appear before a magistrate. But Stephanie Sophos has a bad feeling.

[Stephanie Sophos]

I said, he's up to something. He doesn't have any place to go. He's going to be homeless. He was getting desperate. And when people are desperate, they do desperate things. Things I said, I'm worried about you. It'll be fine. Don't worry about me. Don't worry about me. It's all taken care of. Everything will be fine.

[Narrator]

But Lois is dead wrong.

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We spend over 40 days of our lives on hold. 40 days. Crazy, right? Your customers think so too. It's why Parloa's AI agents are available 24 7, 365 in every language. No, wait. Just great outcomes. Learn [e-mail].

[Narrator]

On the Sunday morning of January 19,

[Stephanie Sophos]

2020, I usually walk the dogs between 7 and 8 in the morning. That particular day was so cool and it was so comfortable and the bed was so cozy. I just didn't want to get out of bed.

[Janice Morrow]

I left the house at 8:30. I walked down to Waikiki, went to do yoga.

[Narrator]

Lois Kane is at home. Yarda has recently taken his makeshift barricade down. And she heads to the basement.

[Janice Morrow]

It probably was to do laundry. I mean, she had to do her laundry down there.

[Narrator]

This will prove to be a tragic mistake.

[Janice Morrow]

Yarda. Yarda.

[Stephanie Sophos]

Something snapped in Yarda. Something snapped.

[Narrator]

Upstairs. Tenant Gisela King hears terrible sounds coming from the basement.

[Stephanie Sophos]

Gisela King heard some type of noise, like a scream or fighting.

[Janice Morrow]

She just had a bad feeling. She turned around and she heard like a. Like a gasp or something.

[Stephanie Sophos]

Then she hears again.

[Sponsor Voice]

Lois.

[Narrator]

Gisela has no idea that Yarda Henel has brutally attacked Lois with a shovel. She just knows something is very wrong.

[Stephanie Sophos]

And then she stepped outside. She was four feet from the door. And she starts to call 911 on her phone.

[Narrator]

At that moment, Yarda bursts out of the house.

[Stephanie Sophos]

He stabs her in her left breast, in her stomach and on her legs.

[Narrator]

Please, someone help.

[Stephanie Sophos]

There was blood everywhere.

[Narrator]

Yarda retreats into the basement. The badly injured Gisela gets a lucky break when Ian Felix, an Army veteran, happens to pass by.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

I saw Gisela was in the ground and she's bleeding. She had an injury on the head. It was a big gash.

[Narrator]

Neighbors Stephanie Sophos and Jen Tima have also heard Gisela's screams and come running.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

So I immediately ask if anybody has a first aid, because I've been in combat. I have training for stopping bleeding and all that.

[Narrator]

Meanwhile, Yarda resumes his horrific assault on Lois, his former friend and protector.

[Stephanie Sophos]

And that's when the police officers started

[Narrator]

coming Honolulu PD Officers Tiffany Enriquez and Kaulike Calama are thrust into the chaos. Where is he side officer?

[Janice Morrow]

He would have seen their every move because there were cameras everywhere.

[Narrator]

Mr. Hannell.

[Janice Morrow]

Something just flipped the switch that day.

[Narrator]

Let's talk.

[Janice Morrow]

Decided that was the day he's gonna take everybody out with him. Mr. Hannell.

[Stephanie Sophos]

All of a sudden, you hear that boom. I will never forget that sound.

[Narrator]

Both officers are struck at close range with shotgun blasts. Yarda again flees to the basement as more police arrive, including a SWAT team.

[Stephanie Sophos]

And then all hell broke loose. It became a war zone. Get down. Get down. Get down. Officer down. Get down.

[Narrator]

Run.

[Stephanie Sophos]

Take cover. Take cover.

[Narrator]

Officers Enriquez and Calama are extracted from the scene and rushed to the hospital.

[David Hayakawa]

Warren immediately runs and gets the police police attention to make sure they understand. Hey, you guys just can't go down there because he's got security cameras everywhere.

[Narrator]

Yarda may be cornered, but he still has one last deadly card to play. As SWAT teams descend on Lois's house, it goes up in flames.

[Stephanie Sophos]

At that point, I think he believed it was the end for him. And when the fire started, I hide behind the wall because I'm thinking Yarda is going to try and kill as many people as he can in a blaze of glory.

[Narrator]

Here is actual audio of law enforcement on the scene reacting as the house burns.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

Hey, make sure you have a second way out in case this house goes up. Watch that left side of the house. The house is completely engulfed on the Makai side. Makai Cohen side. Completely engulfed.

[Stephanie Sophos]

Oh, my God.

[Yaroslav 'Yarda' Hanel]

Perfect position. Pull back so you can see. Pull back so you can see if this guy leaves the house. Is that house to the cook side evacuated? The fire is going to spread.

[Rebecca Atkinson]

It just was shocking. And I couldn't understand why the fire trucks weren't coming in. But then I realized they're still an active shooter. Their lives are at risk.

[David Hayakawa]

Next thing you know, the fire is going off and bullets are exploding everywhere. Probably because Yarda had a stash of ammunition there that started blowing off constantly. With all these bullets going off, the firemen couldn't do their job.

[Narrator]

Soon, seven houses are ablaze, triggering a neighborhood evacuation. Janice Morrow learns something has happened on Hibiscus Drive, but doesn't know what's going on.

[Janice Morrow]

So I called a friend and said, is that Lois's house? And she said, yes, we're all at the park. It is Lois's house. Yarda burned down her house and no one has seen Lois. So I just kind of broke. I just felt in my heart at that moment, like, I just knew right away she was dead.

[Narrator]

When finally cleared to go in, firefighters confront a terrifying inferno. The devastation is beyond belief. The body of Lois Kane is found in her charred basement. Yarda Henel's remains are also recovered. Gisela King survives her brutal attack. But officers Tiffany Enriquez and Kaulika Kalama are not as lucky. They succumb to their wounds.

[Stephanie Sophos]

God bless those two officers that died for us. They came to help us and they gave the ultimate sacrifice.

[Narrator]

Janice Morrow mourns her dear friend.

[Janice Morrow]

Lois was very, very loving. And I know she'd be devastated to know that, you know, these police officers were killed in everyone's homes. And I know she'd be sorry that she didn't act sooner, but might have just been fear, just 100% fear, you know, to be honest, I mean, it's still kind of numb. He could have. I was there for three weeks. I mean, he could have killed all of us, you know, My mom felt right away that he waited. He heard me leave. We had been friends. She felt like he didn't want to hurt me, and that's why he waited till after I left. But I'll never know if it was just God's grace or if he really saw me.

[David Hayakawa]

I called up Warren to check on how he was doing, and he said my house is gone and all my possessions, but it's nothing compared to these families of these officers. You know, Dave, it's crazy. It's crazy.

[Rebecca Atkinson]

I'm very lucky that my house was okay and I was okay. And, you know, I've since seen my neighbors that are starting the rebuild process. So that's starting to happen, which is nice to see.

[Stephanie Sophos]

We'll never bring back people and we'll never bring back what we loved, which was an innocence of having all of us together and trusting each other.

[Narrator]

This podcast is produced by Cream Productions in association with Fremantle Media and id. You can check out Fear Thy Neighbor on Max, Discovery plus and id.

[Sponsor Voice]

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[Paige Desorbo]

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[Liv Perez]

hi, I'm Liv Perez from the let's Get Dressed podcast and this episode is presented to you by Depop. If you've been meaning to clean out your closet, but it feels so overwhelming, my best piece of advice for you as a fashion expert is to start with one thing. Depop. Depop makes it so simple to give your pieces a new home. Just Snap a photo and their AI powered listings fill in all the details for you. And here's the best part. Make money easily with no selling fees on Depop, no seller fees means that you earn exactly what is yours. Another perk. There is someone out there who's going to love that piece the way that you did and who doesn't love making room for something new too. Download the Depop app and list your first item today.