Physical Surveillance
One of the keys to unlocking the Scotty MacKay debacle was… His father, Neil Sullivan Mackay. Even as Steve Goodenow and company trod through the Marshall Islands in pursuit of the boy, his father was off to Hawaii. The cops would be there too. They planned to confront the man, to make sure he understood that he needed to call off this charade. If that took some jail time, so be it.
PHYSICAL SURVEILLANCE OF NEIL S. MACKAY, Honolulu, Hawaii, March 14, 1978
On March 14, 1978, a physical surveillance was conducted at Honolulu International Airport for Neil S. Mackay with the following results:
6:00 a.m. Surveillance is initiated by contact with Sgt. Nappy Durante of the Airport Police Detail.
6:15 Contact with Continental Airlines indicates Air Micronesia will arrive on time at Gate 16 at approximately
6:45 a.m. with passengers debarking thru Foreign Arrivals and Customs.
6:45 Air Micronesia Flight 622 arrives promptly at 6:45 a.m. at Gate 16.
6:55 Sgt. Durante of Airport Police reports Officer Ahsam will be in area of Foreign Arrivals.
7:15 Mr. Neil S. Mackay is identified in area of Foreign Arrivals and Customs by Officer Ahsam.
7:20 Dr. David Perry and Bob Okamura of the Crime Prevention Unit of the Honolulu Police Department arrive and proceed to serve Court Orders issued by Family Court Judge Kokubun on Neil S. Mackay. Mackay does not admit identity but accepts papers.
Summons Served
7:35 Det. Walter Ho of the Honolulu Police Department serves summons for court appearances at Family Court, chambers of Judge Kokubun for 10:00 a.m. March 14, 1978, Tuesday, on Neil S. Mackay who accepts summons without question. It is learned that Neil S. Mackay is traveling under the name Val Galeron, 59-120 Kenoi Road, Haleiwa, Oahu. He also possesses Social Security Cards and credit cards under the same name, one indicating 192 Sand Island Road as an address.
7:45 Capt. Ed Hara of U.S. Customs Xeroxed copies of a Customs Declaration made out and signed by Mackay in the name of Val Galleron. Xeroxed copies of the document, the Social Security Card and other cards are given to investigator by Capt. Hara. A xeroxed copy of the U.S. Passport carried by Neil Mackay indicates his full name is Neil Sutherland Mackay.
Constitutional Right To Travel
7:55 Neil Mackay still makes no admission of his identity nor does he say anything concerning the whereabouts of his son Neil “Scotty” Mackay. He is overheard remarking he wants to go to Alaska and it is his Constitutional right to travel. He also remarks that all the lawyers want is his kid’s money. He expresses being tired and wants to wash up. He is directed to the private concern [sic] on the main floor lobby catering to transition passengers. He is allowed to leave the Customs area.
8:00 He is observed walking about the ticket lobby counters of Western Airlines, then Pan Am, then finally out toward the front lobby on the makai side of the main terminal building. [Makai = toward the sea]
8:15 Mackay walks down to the Japanese Gardens at the Y concourse near Gate 16.
8:20 He enters the Horizon Club, the Western Airlines host lounge and remains there.
The Mysterious Chuck Wolfe
9:00 Information is received from Brook Hart that a Chuck Wolfe, mentioned in earlier court testimony by Jean Sullivan, may be boarding the Air Micronesia Flight which Mackay arrived on earlier on its return flight to Majuro. It is learned that Air Micronesia left at approximately 8:15 a.m.
9:25 A check is made at Continental ticket counter and a Stephen Aki and Gail Fujita are interviewed. The passenger manifest shows a C. Wolfe listed among the passengers. The ticket was issued by Suzanne Wright of Continental’s downtown office on Bishop Street, phone 922-2061.
9:40 Carol of Brook Hart’s office is contacted and given the above information. A further check is requested.
9:45 Stephen Aki of Continental informs the investigator that Gail Fujita, who processed C. Wolfe, states that apparently he did not board the flight because she had seen him walking about the lobby. Aki’s also attempting to spot the man.
Parked in the Lounge
9:55 Carol of Brook Hart’s office is notified that Mackay is still at the Horizon Lounge and apparently does not intend to go to Court at 10:00 a.m. She states she will notify Brook Hart who is in court.
10:00 a.m. Mackay leaves the Horizon Lounge and proceeds to the Makai lobby area with a large envelope, looks and finds a mailbox and deposits same. He then goes to the men’s room, emerges shortly and proceeds back to the Horizon Lounge.
Wolfe On The Move
10:05 S. Aki points out the purported C. Wolfe. He walks from the Diamond Head end of the lobby toward the Ewa [mountain] end. He is in his 30’s, approximately 5’8”, 165 pounds, Latin looking, dark curly short hair, neat, round face, brown complexion, dark eyes, wearing a white and yellow short sleeved print sport shirt., open neck; brown trousers, brown belt with a gold buckle, brown shoes and carry [sic] a brown briefcase. He was followed as far as the security check station leading to gates 26/30.
10:15 A further interview was conducted with Gail Fujita at the Continental ticket counter who had originally processed C. Wolfe. She stated she remembers him distinctly because she had given him the regulation form to fill out — required of all persons entering the trust territories. He kept making mistakes and asked for another form and she gave him approximately 4 forms. She went on to say he spoke good English but with a local accent and looked to be Puerto Rican. She also recalled that a Caucasian girl was with him at the counter although she did not have a booking. She was a dirty sunburnt blonde, straight stringy hair, skinny, plain looking, in her 20’s, and wore a shoulder strap sundress, calf length, light pink with yellow/green flower prints. When she later saw C. Wolfe in the baggage or arrivals lobby, the girl was not with him. Gail went on to say that after the initial booking, the boarding pass could be handed over to anyone.
10:30 Further checks were made at Gates 26 and 29, where Pan Am Flight 612 for Los Angeles was slated to leave at 10:30 a.m. Passengers had already boarded and a check of the manifest list did not show a C. Wolfe. Pan Am Flight 856 for Seattle slated to depart at 11:45 p.m. was also checked. The passenger manifest list also did not show a C. Wolfe. Awaiting passengers were scanned but no one fitting the description of the earlier described C. Wolfe was noted. Mackay had emerged several times from the Horizon Lounge to go to a nearby men’s room but always re-entered the Horizon Lounge.
Bench Warrant Issued
12:00 A check at Brook Hart’s office revealed that a bench warrant had been issued for Neil Mackay and was in the process of being sent to Airport Police.
12:30 p.m. The Bench Warrant arrived at Honolulu International Airport and was forwarded to Officers A. Hedge and Ahsam who had already forewarned Mackay of imminent arrival of the warrant.
12:40 Officer Aaron Hedge arrested Neil S. Mackay with a Bench Warrant issued by Family Court Judge Kokubun for Contempt of Court. Mackay was then taken to the Airport Police Office for booking and subsequently transferred to main Police headquarters.
Under Arrest
3:00 Attorneys Michael Weight and Rodrigues are seen with Mackay at the Police Receiving Desk with Mrs. Rodrigues.
4:30/6:00 A hearing is held at Judge Kokubun’s Family Court and bail is denied Neil S. Mackay. He is remanded to Halawa Jail until another court hearing at 3:30 p.m., March 15, 1978, Wednesday.
[NOTE] In the pre-9/11 days, a U.S. passport or photo ID was not required for domestic airline travel. Then, as now, the Marshall Islands gave privileged status to incoming U.S. passengers.
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Copyright Leland E. Hale (2026)