Malibu Mother Seeks Information about Missing Son

• Man Who Grew Up in Malibu Was Last Seen in Hawaii •

BY BILL KOENEKER

A Malibu mother, whose son went missing in Hawaii, is leaving this week for the islands in search of his whereabouts two months after she last spoke to him.
Willie Dennis Eriksson, 42, who was living on the Big Island, was reported missing to authorities and was last seen during the evening hours of Nov.7 at a location in the Mountain View area, according to authorities.
“He is still missing,” said Chris Loos, the public information officer for the Hawaii Police Department. “We are working with the family on the mainland. He is registered in the national data base for missing persons.”
Anna-Greta Eriksson said her son, who has lived on and off the islands for years, moved about a year ago to the Hilo area of the Big Island where he had a caretaking position waiting for him.
“It was a 21-acre property above Hilo. He fixed up the house. It was seven miles up Kaiwiki Road,” added Eriksson, who said her son was always in contact with her, but she suddenly stopped hearing from him on Nov. 7.
“I could always call and talk to Willie. He would always text message his friends in Malibu. He had a phone bill that had 70 calls on it. He was always in touch with me and his friends,” said Eriksson, who recalled no one else has had further contact with her son since then.
Eriksson, who said she was badly shaken up by her son’s disappearance, had friends make the missing person report and later she talked to detectives assigned to the case. Now she wants to go to the Big Island herself to see if the mystery can be unraveled.
“I asked one of his friends if he had any enemies,” said Eriksson, who noted her son loved to surf and fish and recently started a wood exporting business venture with partners. “He laughed saying Willie was accepted by everyone including the native Hawaiians. He had aloha spirit. He always had a smile on his face. He is a compassionate person.”
Eriksson went on about her son. “Willie was saving for a truck. He did not have a car on the island. He was waiting for more money to buy it. He was supposed to come to the mainland on Nov. 3. I asked him about coming home. He said he did not have the money,” she added.
Eriksson was visiting friends in Kona on the other side of the island shortly before his disappearance. He had been staying for about two weeks. He had taken a bus to Kona and was looking for a ride home. “I got a text message saying he had arrived home saying ‘call me anytime’. The last time I talked to him was when he was still visiting in Kona,” she said. No one seems to know what happened since his return.
Eriksson said she regrets the missing person report was not made sooner. A bulletin was released and the newspapers printed stories about the missing man She said when she talked to a detective she was told they went to her son’s place of residence and found that everything looked orderly.
“I wanted to go over to the island right away. I did not have the money,” she said. “I shared my story with Martin Sheen, and he asked me why I wasn’t over there right now. Willie, who went to Malibu Junior High and Santa Monica High School, went to school with Charlie [Sheen],” said the Malibu mother, who said Sheen offered to help.
Eriksson said she is anxious to talk to authorities again when she gets to Hawaii and plans to visit the property where her son was living. “I want to get in touch with the Coast Guard and go around the island. I am going to put up flyers. His friends will help me,” added Eriksson, who said recently one of the neighbors mentioned foul play, but did not elaborate nor has she been able to contact the neighbor again. “I just don’t know what that means. What does he know? What is he talking about? Wouldn’t the police have said something if there was foul play?” added Eriksson, who said she wants to grill authorities once she is there.
The missing man is described as 5 foot 9, 165 pounds with blue eyes, short gray or partially gray hair and a goatee. Police in Hawaii ask anyone with information on his whereabouts to call the department’s non-emergency number 808-935-3311.


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DECKER CANYON ROAD CLOSURE BETWEEN
PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY AND ENCINAL CANYON ROAD

The California Department of Transportation announces the closure of Decker Canyon Road (SR-23) between Pacific Coast Highway and Encinal Canyon Road on Monday, Jan. 14, between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. for filming activity. Access will be maintained for local residents with identification. Through traffic will be detoured onto Encinal Canyon Road to and from PCH. Caltrans has issued an encroachment permit for this closure.