Court appoints representative for ‘Peter Boy’ Kema
COURTESY OF JAMES AND YOLANDA ACOL / MAY 2005
“Peter Boy” Kema Jr.
HILO >> A court-appointed representative will determine whether there are grounds for a civil suit on behalf of the estate of a boy whose mother recently pleaded guilty to manslaughter in his death.
A judge appointed private investigator Stephen W. Lane and ordered the child welfare department to release records for Peter Kema Jr. and his siblings, reported the Hawaii-Tribune Herald.
The mother’s plea deal confirmed almost 20 years after the 6-year-old boy’s disappearance that he had died.
“My charge from the court is to examine the circumstances of Peter Kema’s (Jr.) life and disappearance by gaining access to the records the state and others might have and then reach a conclusion as to whether or not I think there are any . claims that arise from that review of those documents,” Lane said. “I’ll file a report with the family court with respect to that and probably make recommendations.”
Lane said a judge set protocol last year for representatives to determine liability in cases involving children who were wards of the state or in foster care.
“Bear in mind, wards of the state and foster children were really disenfranchised. They were frozen out,” Lane said. “They had no access to attorneys because of their minority status and because of their ward status with the state. So this, I thought, was a sea change that Judge Browning brought about by making it possible for foster kids or wards of the state to get access to an attorney if they get hurt, like everyone else has.”
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Lane said redacted records that were previously released show the boy “was tortured almost every day” and that “the state kept sending him back again and again to a family that was demonstrably unfit and violent, in my opinion.”
Jaylin Kema will testify against her husband at his trial set for April.
Peter Kema Sr. has said he took the boy to live with an aunt.
12 responses to “Court appoints representative for ‘Peter Boy’ Kema”
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I wish this Hawaiian family would come clean and admit what was done, where the body is, etc. Too much shibai for far too long. At least the murdered boy is with God now.
Allie, exactly how long have you been on this rock? Peter Boy died/missing more than 20 years ago. Isn’t there a maximum years you can stay in school before you get kicked out?
Unless of course you’re working on a triple doctorate.
I know hon. So what is your objection. For 20 years, this bad family has covered their crime up.
that’s what criminals do. they keep quiet about their crimes. what would you expect? look how long it took for Jacob Wetterling’s killer to sit on his crime before he finally confessed. 27 years. as to your original post, it looks like the mother IS coming clean and admitting what happened.
What possible difference does it make to you?
Allie: explain why you have to add the word Hawaiian.
SA title: “Court appoints representative for boy presumed dead”
In the article:”whose mother recently pleaded guilty to manslaughter in his death.”
Once someone has plead guilty to murder, is the victim still “presumed” dead???
Good, now it’s fixed, “Court appoints representative for ‘Peter Boy’ Kema’.
Is that a triple bowl haircut?
Bad haircut = sure sign of bad parenting.
But I’m glad my parents at least spared me my life. 😀
The Hilo CWS unit came within 2 weeks of sending my grandson to live with an abusive meth addict in 2010. A letter from Senator Inouye and a therapist recommendation was the last minute reprieve from what would have been a very poor outcome for this child. This isn’t the first time that CWS has made an error in judgment on reunification by way of failure to include vital information for the family court about concerns for the safety of children. Please see Rob Perez’s series of Advertiser stories called “IN HARMS WAY” dated November 16, 2014.
This article is not about the criminal case of the Peter Boy’s death, but about the possible liability of the state that had custody of the child and returned him to his parents.