9 9 2 , ▁prompt ing ▁John ▁to ▁send ▁Steve ▁and ▁his ▁younger ▁sister ▁Mary ▁away ▁to ▁the ▁main land ▁for ▁their ▁own ▁safety . ▁Steve ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁board ing ▁school ▁while ▁Mary ▁went ▁to ▁live ▁with ▁John ' s ▁older ▁sister ▁Deb . ▁With ▁the ▁sur f acing ▁of ▁crime ▁lord ▁Wo ▁F at ▁and ▁the ▁the ft ▁of ▁John ' s ▁myster ious ▁tool ▁box ▁after ▁Steve ' s ▁return ▁to ▁Hawai i , ▁the ▁truth ▁behind ▁Dor is ' ▁" de ath " ▁is ▁gradually ▁revealed ; ▁while ▁the ▁sib lings ▁reun ite ▁with ▁their ▁mother , ▁they ▁are ▁still ▁susp icious ▁of ▁her ▁and ▁consider ▁A unt ▁Deb ▁to ▁be ▁their ▁mat ernal ▁figure . ▁Steve ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁be ▁fifteen ▁or ▁six teen ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁putting ▁his ▁birth ▁year ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁or ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁which ▁roughly ▁corresponds ▁with ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁in ▁B UD / S ▁in ▁the ▁year ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁A ▁star ▁quarter back , ▁he ▁attended ▁the ▁fict ional ▁K uk ui ▁High ▁School ▁before ▁being ▁sent ▁to ▁the ▁Army ▁and ▁Navy ▁Academy ▁in ▁California ▁for ▁his ▁junior ▁and ▁senior ▁years ▁after ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁his ▁mother . ▁This ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁de cade - long ▁period ▁of ▁est r ang ement ▁between ▁John ▁and ▁his ▁children . ▁In ▁the ▁season ▁ 6 ▁episode ▁" K a ▁P oh aku ▁Ki hi ▁Pa ' a ▁/