Moreira Elena Monsalve

Monsalve, circa 2014; Bernard Brown

  • Missing Since 01/12/2014
  • Missing From Wailuku, Hawaii
  • Classification Endangered Missing
  • Sex Female
  • Race White
  • Date of Birth 09/08/1967 (56)
  • Age 46 years old
  • Height and Weight 5'7 - 5'8, 170 pounds
  • Clothing/Jewelry Description A long-sleeved or three-quarter-length sleeve white cotton t-shirt with black pinstripes, black capri-type cargo shorts, a Victoria's Secret bra, brown flip-flops and a brown plastic hair clip. Possibly carrying a pink Coach purse, a brown and pink wallet, and a Samsung cellular phone with a pink case.
  • Associated Vehicle(s) Black Dodge Niro, a 1994 Buick Park Avenue Ultra, or a white Ford Ranger with California license plates
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, brown eyes. Monsalve's nickname is Mo, and she may use the last name Felicilda. She wears eyeglasses with black metal frames.

Details of Disappearance

Monsalve was last seen leaving her ex-boyfriend's apartment in the Lower Main area of Wailuku, Hawaii between 10:00 and 10:30 p.m. on January 12, 2014. He said she got picked up by someone while he was asleep. She may have been seen in a black Dodge Niro, a 1994 Buick Park Avenue Ultra, or a white Ford Ranger with California license plates. She has never been heard from again.

Monsalve's ex-boyfriend, Bernard Brown, said she'd told him there were problems with her car. He reportedly dropped it off at a repair shop on January 13, and when the police picked it up on January 14, the day Monsalve was reported missing, there was nothing wrong with it.

On January 16, Monsalve's purse and some of her personal belongings were found in a dumpster at the Velma McWayne Santos Community Center, which was within walking distance of Brown's home. The items put in the dumpster included Monsalve's children's birth certificates, bank statements, old Mother's Day cards, and the title to her daughter's truck.

Monsalve's family and friends suspected Brown was involved, and stated she had told them her relationship with Brown was mentally abusive and that she was "terrified" of him. Monsalve had told a friend Brown had threatened to beat her, and that he was "vindictive" and she didn't trust him.

A photo of Brown is posted with this case summary. He moved to California after Monsalve's disappearance. In September 2019, he was arrested there and charged with her murder. At his trial in the summer of 2022, he maintained his innocence and his defense argued there was no physical evidence to implicate him. He was convicted of second-degree murder in August 2022.

It's uncharacteristic of Monsalve to leave without warning, and she's described as a devoted mother who wouldn't have abandoned her children. Her daughter and her older son were adults at the time of her disappearance, but her younger son was still in high school. Foul play is suspected in her case due to the circumstances involved.

Updated 3 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated September 4, 2022; details of disappearance updated.