41 Vegetarian versions of classic recipes

Prison Officials Were Warned Murdered Inmate Was In Danger

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - One of Hawaii's most famous convicted killers was murdered in his cell two months age, and his lawyer says prison officials could have prevented it.

Raita Fukusaku, who was convicted in the death of a celebrity Japanese psychic, had been complaining he was in danger for more than five years.

After 25 years in custody, Fukusaku was returned to Halawa Correctional Facility from a mainland prison in 2019 because of his advancing cancer.

His attorney, Myles Breiner, says Fukusaku almost immediately began warning prison officials that he was in trouble with prison gangs.

"For Mr. Fukusaku to have been murdered when he's telling them specifically, 'I'm under threat. I'm vulnerable. I'm injured. I'm suffering from cancer. I'm in the medical unit twice a day,' and yet he got murdered," Breiner told Hawaii News Now.

Fukusaku was convicted in the killings of Japanese psychic Kototome Fujita and her son, Goro, in 1994. He claimed he didn't pull the trigger but admitted he did hide evidence under pressure from Japanese gangsters.

He repeated that story to the parole board in 2013: "Is my mistake of my whole life. Every single day I think about them."

Because of his cancer, Breiner said Fukusaku walked twice a day to the Halawa medical unit, which made him an ideal candidate to transport drugs.

"He was free to move around the facility compared to most inmates," he said.

Breiner showed Hawaii News Now Fukusaku's formal grievances going back to 2019 about the pressure to be a drug mule.

Struggling to communicate in handwritten English, in 2021 he wrote, "Gang Investigator. Help me," and asked that he or the gang members be moved to other units.

Breiner said official notations indicate the grievances were sometimes read years after being filed.

"They sat on his grievances," Breiner said. "Step one, step two, step three, for over five years."

Legal precedent requires inmates to follow through on grievances process before they can go to court to force the prison to act.

In late November 2023, Breiner wrote a letter to the Department of Public Safety that said, "Mr. Fukusaku is of the information and belief that he has been targeted for assassination by gang members."

Two months ago, on Oct. 14, 2024, Fukusaku was stabbed to death in his cell. Officials said he died of wounds to the head and neck.

Fukusaku was 59, unlikely to ever leave prison alive, and dying of cancer — a life not worth much in a lawsuit, but Breiner is still building a case.

Asked what he hoped to accomplish, Breiner said, "Vindication. There may be no money at the end of the day. That's not the issue. The issue is that my client did not need to die."

Prison officials said the case is still under investigation so would not comment. They did not say if they have identified suspects, and did not respond to questions about whether they could have prevented Fukusaku's death.

Copyright 2024 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

Lauki Raita Recipe

Lauki raita is an easy punjabi style raita made with lauki. This one is an essential in your summer diet since both lauki and curd are cool ingredients , therefore it keeps the body cool and replenish the essential nutrients. Serve the lauki raita with veg pulav, veg biryani or as a side dish with some sautéed veggies or with a combo of dal tadka-rice or dal-fry rice.

1. Take water in a bowl and add grated lauki to it. 3. Add salt, mix it and strain the lauki. 4. Take plain curd and put the cooked lauki in it. 5. Add green chillies, cumin powder, black salt and some more of cumin powder. 6. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly. 7. Garnish with coriander leaves. Watch the step by step recipe of Lauki Raita here along with other summer raita recipes: Recipe Notes

You can make Beetroot Raita in a similar way.Onion can also be added to the ingredients according to your choice,

Tadka Pecan Raita Recipe

How To Make Tadka Pecan Raita

Tadka Pecan Raita Recipe: Tadka Pecan Raita is a delightful twist on the traditional raita, blending the creamy texture of yogurt with the crunchy goodness of pecans. This refreshing side dish features a simple yogurt base enhanced with roasted pecans and a flavorful tadka of mustard seeds and cumin. Perfect for cooling down spicy biryani or pulao, this raita adds a nutty flavor that complements your meal beautifully.

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