Episode 84: Masumi Watanabe with guest reader Erika Prevost

What would you do to help your child grow in their self-confidence and independence?  For 21-year-old Masumi Watanabe’s parents, the answer was sending her from their home in Japan to stay with family friends in Hawaii for an extended vacation. And the plan was working. Masumi was flourishing—gaining confidence, exploring new routines, and settling into life abroad. Then, just a week before she was set to return home, Masumi vanished. In this episode, we look at the disappearance and murder of Masumi Watanabe on the island of Oahu, and the community's long search for answers. We explore the troubling background of the man arrested for her death, what could have been prevented, and the lasting impact Masumi’s story has had in Hawaii and beyond. 📖 Featuring a special guest reading by actress Erika Prevost. Erika is a Japanese-Canadian actor and creator most known for her work on Disney’s hit teen dance drama The Next Step where she played fan-favorite character, Sloane, for 3 seasons. Finding her first form of expression through movement and dance at a young age, she was able to build a repertoire of skills that helped launch her into the industry. Upon graduation from the National Theatre School of Canada, Erika moved to Toronto and portrayed Brianna Bradley on 10 episodes of USA Network’s and Netflix’s mystery thriller Dare Me. Other notable work include leading roles in Lifetime’s Saying Yes to Christmas, Universal Pictures’ 7th installment of their hit franchise Bring It On and Ubisoft’s historical action video game Assassin’s Creed Shadows with over 3 million players. Currently, Erika can be seen on Season 4 of Amazon’s Emmy nominated drama series The Boys playing the vicious and deadly Tala; as well as CBC’s brand new hit series Saint-Pierre as the tenacious officer Patty Montclair-Ito. Off screen, Erika spends time writing and developing her own projects in collaboration with her fellow artists. Outside of work, she has a passion for mental health education and community building. She is also an avid animal lover and a sucker for Romance! ➡️ Help bring attention to missing and unidentified women—subscribe and share this episode. ✨ Join us on Patreon for bonus content, including Behind the Poem, where we discuss this episode’s featured poem, plus our monthly true crime/mystery book club. April’s pick: The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Madel 📖 Read along with Aimée and Vanessa on StoryGraph! 📍 Find us on Instagram & Facebook. 📚 Get Aimee’s book, Doe, now available via University of Akron Press, Bookshop.org, and Amazon. 📰 For more women-centered true crime content, subscribe to Aimee’s newsletter, GIRLHUNT.