Earlier this week, Alison Dadow was charged with murder in the death of her twin sister Ann after the two drove off a cliff on a winding highway in Hawaii. It was the tragic end to a bizarre tale of yoga, assumed names and alleged scams. On Wednesday, a judge dropped the murder charges against Dadow, but reports say prosecutors may still file lesser charges against her.
Alison Dadow was charged in her sister’s death after apparently driving a Ford Explorer off a cliff on Maui’s Hana Highway. But Judge Blaine Kobayashi ordered Dadow released on Wednesday during a preliminary hearing, saying there was no probably cause for the second-degree murder charge against her. The Maui News reports that prosecutors intend to file lesser charges against her, possibly negligent homicide or manslaughter.
A defense attorney for Dadow, Todd Eddins, told ABC she is “elated” over the ruling: “This was a tragic accident. It was not a homicide, it was not a crime. This judge understood the evidence and we’re just grateful that he got it.”
The Dadow sisters arrived in Hawaii after opening and closing several yoga studios in Florida and Utah under the name Twin Power Yoga, attracting attention in South Florida for what news reports have termed their “lavish lifestyle.” Both sisters racked up several arrests apiece, over the years: Alison was charged with DUI in Utah and fleeing an accident, disorderly conduct and defrauding an innkeeper in Florida, while Ann was previously charged with for public intoxication and assaulting a police officer.
Twin Power Yoga’s Utah location filed for bankruptcy in 2014. By the time they made it to Hawaii earlier this year, they were going by the names Anastasia and Alexandria Duval, although it’s unclear if they legally changed their names.
The Dadow twins. Screenshot via ABC News