In July 1970, two young women from Stockton, California, went to Chicago for a Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) convention. One of them, 18-year-old Evelyn Okubo, did not leave the Palmer House hotel alive. Her roommate, 17-year-old Ranko Carol Yamada, survived with a slashed throat.
More than half a century later, no one has been convicted of the killing, and the central questions remain open: who attacked the women, how he got into the room, and why.
The date is itself a point of confusion. The appellate court record places the attack on July 16, 1970. Later summaries give July 17 or July 18, and a newspaper report dated July 18 describes the search for the killer as already underway. The July 16 date comes from testimony in a court record, so this article uses it, while noting that summaries disagree.
Timeline at a Glance
| When | What the sources report |
|---|---|
| July 16, 1970 (court record date) | Okubo returns from a convention dinner at about 9:30 p.m., visits Room 862 for roughly half an hour, then goes back to Room 725. |
| About 30 minutes later | Yamada returns to Room 725 for a radio and finds Okubo bound on the floor. The attacker grabs Yamada and cuts her throat. |
| Shortly afterward | Yamada, unable to speak, writes notes and signals for help. Roommate Patti Iwataki enters and finds her. Help arrives and Yamada is taken to a hospital. |
| July 18, 1970 | A wire-service report says Yamada's notes are the main leads in the search for the killer. |
| Later in 1970 | Police reportedly named Lonell Robinson a prime suspect after he was arrested on a curfew violation and was later linked to a separate hotel rape and robbery case. |
| 1971 (reported) | Robinson is convicted in the separate rape case. Wikipedia later reports that he was ruled out as a suspect in Okubo's murder; the court opinions cited here do not independently document that decision. |
| December 21, 1977; modified May 31, 1978 | The Illinois appellate court reverses the judgments in the civil suit and remands the case for a new trial. |
Evelyn Okubo and the Stockton Delegation
Evelyn Okubo was a Japanese-American teenager from Stockton, California. Wikipedia's article on the case describes her as a sansei, a third-generation Japanese American, and gives her age as 18. The same article says she and Yamada traveled to the national JACL convention as representatives of a youth organization called Yellow Seed.
The court record describes the trip somewhat differently. According to the opinion in Yamada v. Hilton Hotel Corp., Okubo and Yamada came to Chicago in July 1970 as representatives of the Stockton, California chapter of the JACL. A third member, Patti Iwataki, stayed with them in Room 725.
The two descriptions are not necessarily in conflict, but they do not match word for word, and the court's account is the one given under oath.
The court also records what Yamada did that day. She gave a four-and-a-half-hour presentation to the convention that dealt in part with the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. That detail comes from her testimony about the day, not from any finding about why the attack happened. The convention's themes and the women's activities are context. Nothing in the court record connects them to the attacker's motive.
The Night at the Palmer House
The appellate opinion offers the most detailed sequence of events, drawn from Yamada's trial testimony.
On the evening of the attack, Okubo attended a convention dinner at the Hilton Hotel. She returned to the Palmer House at about 9:30 p.m. and went to Room 862, where Yamada and Iwataki were visiting friends. Okubo stayed about half an hour and then went back to Room 725.
About 30 minutes later, Yamada went to the room to get a radio and to see whether Okubo would rejoin the group. She had a key, though she could not remember whether she had asked Iwataki for it. She knocked and got no answer, so she opened the door with her key, entered, took the key out and closed the door behind her.
In the vestibule she saw Okubo's body on the floor. Okubo was on her back with her hands tied behind her and a pillow over her head. A man then came out from behind a wall and grabbed Yamada.
She described him as tall, Black and naked, with a long, uneven, messy afro. He forced her to the floor, tied her hands and feet, and covered her head with a sheet.
Yamada testified that she heard him take Okubo into the bathroom and heard Okubo struggling as she was put into the bathtub. Okubo screamed once, and then it was silent. After the man dressed, he lifted the sheet and cut Yamada's throat. She closed her eyes and pretended to be dead.
The opinion states plainly that the assailant did not rape either woman. That point matters later, when early press coverage is compared with the record.
Yamada's Survival and the First Description
Once the man left, Yamada dragged herself to the door. She had partially untied her hands, and she locked the door by turning something other than the knob.
Hotel staff testified that a closed door locks automatically, and that the only way to double lock it is with the key on the inside. A photograph taken after the attack shows no key in the door and nothing but the knob to turn. The opinion leaves that discrepancy unexplained.
Yamada tried to telephone for help but could not speak. The operator could not tell which room the call came from. She began writing notes. The court record quotes three of them: "he's black w/ a natural," "it looks gory but there's no pain," and "don't blame him it is not his fault." Yamada testified that she wrote them because she thought she was dying and did not want her family to believe her death had been painful.
The wording of the notes differs in some retellings; Wikipedia's article on the case, for example, gives different phrasing and adds a line about peace. The quotations above follow the appellate record.
She banged on the wall with a shoe, and when no one came, she went to the bathroom to find something to cut the cords on her ankles. She was holding a razor blade, with blood running down her neck, when Iwataki entered. Iwataki asked, "Why did you do it?" Yamada pulled her over to the notes to show what she had written. Help arrived and Yamada was taken to the hospital.
The attacker's description is witness testimony from a gravely injured teenager who saw him briefly. She said she believed he wore blue jeans and a dark shirt. That is a valuable account, but it is not an independent identification, and the record does not show anyone being matched to it.
A United Press International report carried in The San Francisco Examiner on July 18, 1970 shows how the investigation began. The headline read "Notes Describe Girl's Slayer." The report said the "scrawled notes of a pretty California teen-ager, unable to speak because her throat was slashed by an assailant, were the main leads today in the search for the man who killed her roommate." It also said police described the killer, as the girl had, as "a black man with a natural." The rest of the clipped text is cut off, so what police said next is not available here.
The Investigation and the Robinson Case
Beyond the early reliance on Yamada's notes, the sources describe only a thin investigative record. They do not establish any forensic result, any recovered weapon, or any identified witness who saw the attacker enter or leave.
The one named suspect in the reporting is Lonell Robinson.
Wikipedia's article, citing Chicago newspaper coverage from late 1970, says police named Robinson a prime suspect in Okubo's murder after he was arrested on a curfew violation and was later linked to a separate rape and robbery case.
The separate crime occurred at the Conrad Hilton Hotel in Chicago, not the Palmer House, according to the Illinois Appellate Court's opinion in People v. Robinson. Wikipedia reports that Robinson was later ruled out as a suspect in Okubo's murder, but the court opinions reviewed here do not independently establish the timing or basis for that decision.
The rest of the Robinson account is clear:
- According to Wikipedia's account, Robinson was convicted the following year in the separate rape case. That conviction was not for Okubo's killing; the later appellate opinion in his separate prosecution records the rape and armed-robbery convictions.
- Wikipedia reports that he was later ruled out as a suspect in her murder. The court opinions linked here do not independently document that decision.
- Wikipedia's article states that Robinson was not affiliated with the Black Panther Party or another political organization; the court opinion in his separate criminal case does not establish his political affiliations.
- Nothing in the supplied sources shows that his separate crime was ever tied to the homicide.
A suspect who is named, considered and then eliminated has not been shown to be guilty. Treating a conviction in a different case as the solution to this one would be wrong on the record.
What Early Coverage Got Wrong and What the Record Says
Wikipedia's article reports that Chicago newspapers initially ran sensational stories claiming Okubo had been raped before she was killed, and that some coverage implied interracial dating by the young activists was to blame. It adds that newspapers later acknowledged no rape had occurred. The appellate opinion says the same: the assailant did not rape either woman.
The article also notes that two police officers were killed by sniper fire on July 17, 1970. The appellate court record dates the attack on Okubo and Yamada to July 16, 1970, so the officers' deaths were the following day according to that court-record timeline.
The Chicago Police Memorial Foundation's profile of Patrolman Anthony N. Rizzato also records the July 17 deaths of Rizzato and Sergeant James Severin. The Wikipedia article notes that police and Black Panthers had been killed the previous year. In that atmosphere, it says, the supposition grew that a Panther had killed Okubo. Yamada's description of a Black man with a natural hairstyle was reported, but a physical description cannot establish a motive, a political affiliation or an organization behind the crime.
| Claim in early or later retellings | What the supplied sources support |
|---|---|
| Okubo was raped before being killed | Not supported. The appellate opinion says the assailant did not rape either woman, and later coverage acknowledged this. |
| The attacker was a Black Panther or politically motivated | Not supported. The belief persists in parts of the community, per Wikipedia, but no evidence has been found for it. |
| Interracial dating by the young activists was to blame | Early newspaper implication only. It is not an investigative finding. |
| Lonell Robinson killed Okubo | Not supported. He was named as a suspect, later ruled out, and convicted only in a separate rape case. |
| The killer was a Black man with a natural hairstyle | Yamada's description, given in her notes and testimony. It is not an identification of any person. |
| Racial animus was the motive | Suspected by some columnists, but never confirmed, because the perpetrator was never found. |
Wikipedia's article adds that many older Japanese Americans took the murder as confirmation of their fears about young people's interracial activism, and that the belief that a Black Panther was responsible remains common in parts of the community despite the lack of evidence. A rumor that has lasted for decades is still a rumor.
The Hotel Lawsuit and the Limits of What It Proves
Yamada and Mabel Okubo, administrator of Evelyn Okubo's estate, sued Hilton Hotel Corporation, which owned and operated the Palmer House.
Their negligence count claimed the hotel owed a high degree of care for guests' safety. They alleged it breached that duty by failing to equip rooms with adequate security devices and by failing to maintain adequate surveillance of the common areas. A second count alleging breach of express and implied warranties relating to security was withdrawn shortly before the case went to the jury.
The opinion describes the setting. The Palmer House had 24 floors above street level and 2,144 guest rooms. Three public entrances opened onto a street-level arcade, and automatic elevators ran from there to all guest floors. The arcade stores closed at 10:00 p.m., but public access continued.
Frank Lopez, who testified as plaintiffs' expert, became chief of security in July 1970. He testified that the security force had five men on each of three daily shifts. Three held stationary posts, none at the street-level entrances, and two patrolled all floors.
He said there were several illegal entries into guest rooms by "undesirables" between January 1 and July 16, 1970. He said he believed 15 to 20 men per shift would have been adequate, and that before the attack he had recommended raising the staff to eight per shift. That request had not been granted by July 16.
The jury returned general verdicts for the hotel, and the circuit court of Cook County entered judgment. Plaintiffs appealed. The appellate court filed its opinion on December 21, 1977, and modified it on denial of rehearing on May 31, 1978. It reversed the judgments and remanded the civil case for a new trial.
The opinion rejected the hotel's argument that the case should not have gone to a jury, holding that the evidence, including Lopez's testimony and Yamada's description of the attacker, presented a question of fact. For the full disposition of the appeal, see the appellate opinion.
This lawsuit was a civil proceeding about the hotel's duty and security. It preserves valuable testimony, but it did not identify the killer, and it did not determine a motive. The initial general verdict did not reveal why the jury sided with the hotel.
What Each Kind of Source Can and Cannot Tell Us
Strengths
- The appellate opinion records sworn testimony in detail: the timeline, the injuries, the notes, and the security evidence.
- It is the clearest source for the fact that neither woman was raped.
- The July 1970 wire report shows what police and the public were told in the first days.
- Later reporting, as summarized by Wikipedia, documents the corrections: no rape, Robinson ruled out, and no confirmed motive.
Limits
- The court record covers a civil dispute, not a criminal investigation. It does not describe police work.
- Much of the account comes from one survivor who was badly injured and in danger.
- Early press coverage was sensational and partly wrong.
- Wikipedia is a secondary summary, and its details need checking against contemporary newspapers. The dates, the notes' wording and the location of Robinson's other crime all vary among accounts.
What Remains Unanswered
The identity of the attacker is still unknown. The court record does not explain how he got into Room 725. It does not settle whether he was already inside, whether he followed one of the women or entered another way. The opinion itself acknowledges several possible explanations.
The motive is also unestablished: no rape took place, and no racial or political motive has been proven. Robinson's separate rape conviction is not a solution, and neither is any theory built on a physical description or on the politics of 1970.
The case has had a human aftermath that is better documented than the crime. In a later Rafu Shimpo interview, Nobuko Miyamoto recalled that she and Chris Iijima wrote their first song at the JACL convention and performed it the following day. She described Okubo's murder as a shock.
They later planned a memorial, held a benefit concert, and toured Japanese-American communities to raise money and connect with other activists. These efforts show the loss that the case left in its community. They do not point to a culprit.
At its core this is the story of a young woman who was killed and a teenager who survived and spent years living with what she had seen. Because the central facts are still missing, the most honest account is one that leaves them missing.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the attack on Evelyn Okubo happen?
The appellate court record gives July 16, 1970. Wikipedia's article gives July 17 in its text and July 18 in its summary box, and a newspaper report dated July 18 describes the search as already underway. The court's date comes from trial testimony and is the one used here.
Was Evelyn Okubo raped?
No. The appellate opinion states that the assailant did not rape either woman. Early newspaper stories claimed otherwise, and later coverage acknowledged the error.
Who killed Evelyn Okubo?
That has never been determined. The killer was never found, and no one was convicted of the murder.
Was Lonell Robinson convicted of her murder?
No. Robinson was convicted in a separate rape case, not Okubo's murder. Wikipedia reports that he was later ruled out as a suspect, although the court opinions cited here do not independently document that decision. The separate prosecution is recorded in People v. Robinson.
Did a Black Panther or a political group commit the crime?
No reliable evidence in the sources cited establishes that a Black Panther or political group committed the crime. Yamada described a Black man with a natural hairstyle, but that description does not establish affiliation or motive. Wikipedia reports that Robinson was not affiliated with a political organization; the court opinion in his separate case does not independently establish his affiliations. Wikipedia also says the belief persists in parts of the community despite the lack of supporting evidence.
Did the lawsuit find the hotel responsible?
The jury initially returned general verdicts for the hotel, but the appellate court reversed the judgments and remanded the case for a new trial. The lawsuit did not identify the killer or establish a motive.
References
- Murder of Evelyn Okubo — Wikipedia
- Yamada v. Hilton Hotel Corp. (Yamada v. Hilton Hotel Corp., 60 Ill.App.3d 101, 376 N.E.2d 227, 17 Ill.Dec. 228 (Ill. App. 1977)) — vLex United States
- Ranko Carol Yamada and Evelyn Okubo Murders, Chicago 1970 — Newspapers.com™
- People v. Robinson, 20 Ill. App. 3d 777 (Illinois Appellate Court, 1974)
- Yamada v. Hilton Hotel Corp. — opinion filed December 21, 1977; modified on denial of rehearing May 31, 1978
- Patrolman Anthony N. Rizzato — Chicago Police Memorial Foundation
- Nobuko Miyamoto interview — Rafu Shimpo, December 14, 2011
