Jenny Lupton's death has prompted her family to publicly reject speculation that she died by suicide after the 50-year-old Southwest Airlines flight attendant was found dead at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki on Thursday, August 20.
Lupton, a mother from Moore, Oklahoma, was found near a waste bin during a work layover after her family was told she appeared to have fallen from the balcony of her 24th-floor hotel room.
Honolulu police are continuing to investigate, and authorities have not determined the cause or manner of her death. Her relatives say they do not believe she died by suicide and are seeking answers about what happened.
The Honolulu Medical Examiner's Office attempted to notify Lupton's family at about 12:20 p.m. Hawaii time on Aug. 20, according to the family. Hannah Lupton, Jenny's niece, said her mother received the call from the medical examiner and found the news 'extremely difficult' and 'shocking' because Jenny was her younger sister.
The family tried reaching the Honolulu Police Department after learning of Jenny's death but did not hear from HPD until Monday, August 24. Hannah said the delay was partly due to August 21 being Statehood Day in Hawaii, a state holiday that made contacting officials more difficult.
'We had such a lack of information from everyone for several days,' she said, adding that the family eventually contacted the Oklahoma attorney general's office for assistance.
Honolulu Police Department spokesperson Noreen Reimel told SFGATE there was 'no unnecessary delay in contacting the family.' She explained that the process required positive identification of the deceased, followed by the medical examiner locating and notifying the next of kin before investigators could reach out.
By Monday, HPD had issued a news release saying its Homicide Detail was actively investigating the circumstances surrounding Lupton's death.
Police emphasised that the involvement of the Homicide Detail does not mean Lupton's death has been ruled a homicide. 'At this time, no conclusions have been made regarding the manner of death,' the department said in a statement.
Detectives are conducting numerous interviews, reviewing and recovering surveillance video, and examining evidence as part of what HPD described as 'a thorough investigation that will take time.'
The department said it would limit the release of certain information to preserve the integrity of the investigation but would notify the community if investigators identified an immediate threat to public safety.
Hannah said the family felt compelled to speak out after public speculation began suggesting that Jenny had died by suicide.
'We wanted to stress that she was not suicidal, and we do not believe it was suicide, especially with a timeline of things and the conversations we had just hours before,' she said.
In the hours before her death, Jenny had been in contact with family members and co-workers. She went dancing with friends, got a hibiscus tattoo and messaged relatives about enjoying her night out.
'She had been texting prior in the day, talking about having fun and going dancing with friends, and that she was really excited,' Hannah said.
