Denise Foster
Denise Foster was the youngest of nine siblings and grew up in Waipahu. Her family describes her as adventurous and funny, with a humor that brought lightness and warmth, and she was studying counseling and had a job lined up at Goodwill for when she was released; her family says she called the Goodwill owner every Sunday. The Hawaii Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said she died on August 5, 2026, at Halawa Correctional Facility, while a report by Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents gives August 4 as the date. That report says a man held at the facility entered her cell and beat and strangled her, and the Honolulu Medical Examiner's Office ruled her death a homicide. Her family is still waiting for more details, and friends have started a petition calling for a thorough investigation.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (disputed). The Honolulu Medical Examiner's Office ruled the death a homicide from blunt force head injuries and manual strangulation by another man held there, while the Hawaii Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's account gives no cause; friends have petitioned for a thorough investigation.
Reported by: Honolulu Medical Examiner's Office (medical examiner or coroner); Hawaii Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (the agency that held her); friends.