Branston was a resident of Lakeport, California in 1996. He told his sister that he imagined traveling to Hawaii and dying during the summer of that year. His family became concerned that he was suicidal.

Branston left Lakeport on August 1, 1996 and arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii shortly thereafter. He was apparently homeless and living near the Honolulu Airport. He opened a bank account and rented a storage locker in the city, where he stored his identification, medication, and clothing. A teller at the Bank of Hawaii in Kaunakakai, Hawaii says Branston tried to cash a check there in October 1996, but wasn't allowed to because he didn't have any identification.

The storage company Branston patronized contacted his parents in November 1996 after he stopped paying the fees for his locker. There were possible sightings of Branston in a remote area on the east side of Molokai, Hawaii during this time. His case remains unsolved. Both Hawaii and California police are investigating.