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Father’s trial in death of ‘Peter Boy’ delayed until January, meeting request

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COURTESY PHOTO

“Peter Boy” Kema Jr.

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DARRYL LEE / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER

Peter “Peter Boy” Kema’s mother, Jaylin Kema, begins her trial in the case a week after her husband.

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COURTESY PHOTO

The trial of Peter Kema Sr., left, in the murder of his son, Peter “Peter Boy” Kema Jr., will begin Jan. 23.

HILO >> The trial for a Hawaii man charged with murder in the death of his son, who has been missing for nearly two decades, has been postponed until 2017.

Peter Kema Sr. had been scheduled to go on trial Monday, but a judge granted his request for a delay, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported Tuesday. His new trial is set for Jan. 23, one week before his wife, Jaylin Kema, will go before a jury in the case.

The couple has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the death of their son, Peter Kema Jr., known as “Peter Boy.” The child was 6 when he disappeared in 1997.

The boy’s parents had long been suspects in his disappearance before prosecutors said they finally had enough evidence to charge them in April.

Peter Kema Sr. had told authorities he took the child to Oahu and gave him to an “Aunty Rose Makuakane” in an informal adoption. Police could not find a woman as described by Kema or airline records indicating he had flown there from Hawaii island.

Jaylin Kema is also scheduled to have a separate trial for second-degree theft in a welfare fraud case on Jan. 23. Prosecutors say the alleged theft from May 2010 to July 2015 was uncovered because of the investigation into the boy’s death.

Peter Kema Sr. remains held in lieu of $500,000 bail, while his wife has an Oct. 6 hearing on her request to be freed on supervised release or have her bail reduced. She is being held in jail in lieu of $150,000 bail.

5 responses to “Father’s trial in death of ‘Peter Boy’ delayed until January, meeting request”

  1. lokela says:

    This case has been going on or delayed for 19 years. I’m lost for words in how incompentent our system is. What they waiting for? The parents to die? Wasting our tax money if you ask me.

    • BigIsandLava says:

      I totally sympathize with you Lokela but Justice doesn’t have an expiration date. You can attempt to sweep things under the rug, but eventually people going start questioning the lumps and bumps under the rug after awhile.

    • copperwire9 says:

      Geez! They’ve been investigating this case during those years when you’ve decided the system was being “incompetent.” They finally got enough evidence to go to trial. Now they’re going to trial.

      If you knew so much about all this, why didn’t YOU go to the cops 19 years ago and enlighten them?

  2. Upperkula says:

    Hang this dirt bag, hang him high…his wife too.

  3. 50skane says:

    Lock em up and throw away the keys.

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