The shooting death of 24-year-old Malia Kahalewai on Wednesday night rocked the tightknit community on Molokai.
The murder "broke our community’s hearts," said Karen Holt, executive director of Molokai Community Service Council, an agency that provides services to domestic violence victims, children and perpetrators. "We know both the victim’s and the alleged perpetrator’s families, and we grieve for both of them. And we especially grieve for the children."
The Honouliwai woman was running from her abusive boyfriend, hiding at a female friend’s Kawela home when 33-year-old Marlin Lavoie allegedly shot and killed her in front of at least one of their four children, according to witness reports to police.
Lavoie has a history of schizophrenia, domestic abuse and violent crime, court records show.
"The children were placed in Child Welfare Services custody at one point but then returned to the care of their mentally ill father," Holt said. "Tragedies like the one last night are wake-up calls for all of us."
Lavoie surrendered to police just before 8 a.m. Thursday. He was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder. He had not been charged Thursday.
Police said Kahalewai died of a single gunshot wound in her chest. The shooting was reported at 9:59 p.m. at the Kawela Barns Apartments at 2626 Kamehameha V Highway.
Maui police Capt. John Jacobczak said she was taken to Molokai General Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
"The kids were there but there were no kids harmed," he said.
Lavoie fled, but police found his vehicle and "we believe his father assisted in his surrender," Jacobczak said.
He said the last Molokai killing was that of Olakalani Mollena, 22, in 2005. Her boyfriend, Mandan Kamai, was sentenced to 21 years in prison for fatally punching her in the back of the head.
Lavoie was convicted in 1999 for robbery, burglary and assault for attacking a woman in her home.
He was sentenced to a year in jail but was given credit for time served and placed on five years’ probation. At sentencing, the judge ordered Lavoie to obtain and maintain mental health treatment, including medication and testing, and remain in treatment until clinically discharged, and to participate in an anger management program.
He was also convicted of abuse of a family member in 2008 and sentenced to two days in jail.
B.J. Dudoit, who also works for the Molokai Community Service Council, said years ago someone from the agency tried to help Kahalewai when she was a teenager and employed with its youth corps program. There were signs of domestic problems with Lavoie, she said.
"The last murder was years ago," she said. "This is not the norm."
She acknowledged domestic violence happens on the island, and it has to be taken seriously.
"Our greatest fear is that the women and children will be hurt," she said. "I think it’s an eye-opener statewide if it can happen in a small community. "
Lynn Kahalewai of Maui, the victim’s aunt, said her niece was "extremely sweet" and "always very pleasant, a very positive young lady," adding, "She never talked about her personal situation except about her kids. Her kids were very important to her."
The family has "felt the strong outpouring of love" from the community, she said.
Although she didn’t know Kahalewai, Antonette Kaulili, 36, a Kaunakakai resident, said, "It’s shocking. You feel like Molokai is close. Everybody knows everybody, like it’s your own neighbor."
She said the children probably will be OK with social services and the family helping.
In an email Holt said: "Although responsibility for this tragedy lies with the man who pulled the trigger, the social safety net is badly frayed here on Molokai. The perpetrator has serious mental health issues, but services for people like him have been stripped to the bone on Molokai.
"As we mourn the loss of one young Molokai mother, we hope that her death will kindle our collective resolve to repair the social safety net so that other children will not have to suffer as her children are suffering today," she said.
