Sunrise Vigil Planned for Royal, Other Domestic Violence Victims

A sunrise silent march and vigil will be held later this month in remembrance of victims of domestic violence, including Brittany Jane Royal and her unborn son.

The event is scheduled for 7 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, in front of the King Kamehameha statue along Kamehameha Avenue in the bayfront area of Hilo.

“This vigil will recognize and remember all those on the Big Island who have lost their lives to domestic violence,” said a statement issued today by the Hawaii County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney.

Royal’s body was found in May 2013 tangled in fishing line off the Kalapana coast in Puna.

Police last month said she was murdered by her boyfriend, Boaz Johnson, who later hanged himself in a forested area upslope of where he and Royal were camping.

Royal was pregnant at the time of her death, and her family said she intended to name the child `Io, which is the name of the Hawaiian hawk.

“We are asking for anyone who wishes to join this silent march to wear either something with a peace sign or lotus flower – symbols particularly meaningful to Brittany, or the color purple to symbolize the continued fight against domestic violence,” the statement from the prosecutor’s office said.

For information, contact the office’s Victim Assistance Unit at 934-3306.

The public is invited to participate in the vigil.