Help sought in two deaths

REXBURG, Idaho – The Madison County Sheriff’s Office is calling in national forensic and forensic anthropology experts to help investigate the deaths of two Rexburg women after autopsies of their mummified bodies produced few clues.

Sheriff Roy Klingler said the department is trying to contact several national forensic experts who might have experience dealing with badly decomposed bodies. Investigators are not sure how long the women had been dead before they were discovered because they were recluses rarely seen even by neighbors.

“This is an unusual case for this area,” he said “It’s an unusual case for Idaho. That’s why we’re asking for these experts’ help.”

The bodies, discovered in the bedroom of the trailer on June 19, are believed to be those of Lorraine Kaneko, 58, and her daughter Laura Kaneko, 33. Dave Kaneko, 64, the husband and father, is in custody after being arrested for obstructing justice. He’s being held as a material witness on a $500,000 bond.

Investigators believe Kaneko lived in the trailer sporadically for months after the two women died, but did not report the deaths to police.

When not living in the trailer, Kaneko, who retired in May after 27 years at the Naval Reactor Facility at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, stayed alone in local motel rooms and other locations, the sheriff’s office said.

Kaneko is waiting to consult with his lawyer before commenting to investigators. On Tuesday he pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of delaying and obstructing a police officer. He faces a $1,000 fine, a year in prison or combination of both. A trial date has not been set.

Investigators have not ruled out that the two women were murdered, but have not named Kaneko as a suspect.