The Oklahoma flight attendant’s family disputes the finding, while Honolulu police say their investigation into her August death remains open.
HONOLULU — The Honolulu medical examiner has ruled the August death of Southwest Airlines flight attendant Jenny Lupton a suicide, determining that she died from multiple injuries sustained in a fall, as her family continues to question what happened and police maintain an active investigation.
The determination, confirmed Thursday, provides an official cause and manner of death nearly two months after Lupton, 50, was found dead in Waikiki on Aug. 20 while she was in Hawaii following a work flight. The finding does not end the separate police investigation. The Honolulu Police Department said this week that detectives are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding her death.
Lupton was staying at the Hilton Hawaiian Village when she died. Her family previously said authorities told them she appeared to have fallen from the hotel. Relatives publicly questioned that explanation and asked for a wider investigation, saying they did not believe she intended to harm herself. The family has continued to express doubts after the medical examiner’s ruling.
Honolulu police opened an unattended death investigation after Lupton was found. In an Aug. 24 statement, the department said its Homicide Detail was investigating and working closely with her family. Police said detectives were conducting interviews, reviewing and recovering surveillance video and examining other evidence. At that time, investigators stressed that no conclusion had been reached about the manner of death.
The Homicide Detail’s involvement did not mean police had classified the death as a homicide. The unit also handles suspicious, unattended and otherwise unexplained deaths. Police urged the public to rely on verified information while the investigation continued and said some details would be withheld to protect the inquiry.
Lupton’s relatives have said her behavior shortly before her death gave them no reason to believe she planned to die by suicide. Her nephew, Sam Lupton, told Hawaii News Now in August that the family believed important questions remained unanswered. Family members also described conversations and activities shortly before her death that they believed were inconsistent with an intention to harm herself.
The family’s concerns prompted widespread attention to the case online, but police cautioned against treating speculation as established fact. No publicly released police finding has identified another person as responsible for Lupton’s death, and authorities have not announced evidence establishing foul play. The medical examiner’s ruling represents the official medical determination of the manner of death.
Southwest Airlines confirmed after Lupton’s death that she was one of its flight attendants and had died while in Hawaii during a layover. The airline said it was saddened by the death, had offered support to her family and co-workers and was cooperating with local authorities. Family members told news outlets that Lupton had worked as a flight attendant for nearly three decades, including more than two decades with Southwest.
The medical examiner’s determination and the police investigation serve different purposes. Honolulu’s Department of the Medical Examiner is responsible for determining the cause and manner of sudden, violent, unusual or suspicious deaths. Police investigators separately examine evidence to determine whether criminal conduct may have occurred.
As of Friday, Oct. 16, Honolulu police said the investigation into Lupton’s death remained ongoing despite the medical examiner’s ruling. Authorities have not announced an arrest or publicly identified evidence establishing that another person caused her death. Her family continues to seek answers about the circumstances surrounding her final hours in Waikiki.
Author note: Last updated October 16, 2026.