News sources report that on Tuesday, June 13, in a Hilo courtroom, Peter “Peter Boy” Kema Jr.’s mother, Jaylin Kema, was sentenced to 10 years of probation for manslaughter in the 1997 death of her 6-year-old son, who died of septic shock.
In addition, Acting Hilo Circuit Judge Henry Nakamoto sentenced her to four years of probation for theft, which will be served concurrently, and ordered to pay over $16,000 in restitution for illegally receiving public assistance.
Tearful in court, Kema told Judge Nakamoto that she deserved imprisonment for failing to seek medical help for her son and for not coming forward with the truth.
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“For far too long, I’ve kept a secret of the abuse of my children—especially Peter Boy—and I kept the secret of how he died,” Kema said in court. “I thank the prosecutor and the police for giving me the chance to tell the truth. My own problems in my everyday life is difficult, but nothing… compared to the pain that Peter Boy endured while I did nothing.”
Kema, 47, has already served a year in jail.
Kema pleaded guilty to manslaughter and agreed to testify against her husband, Peter Kema Sr., who faces 20 years in jail when he is sentenced for manslaughter on July 24, 2017.
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In the meantime, the search for Peter Boy’s remains continues on a stretch of Puna coastline.
As part of his plea deal, Kema Sr. will undergo a polygraph test if Peter Boy’s remains aren’t found.
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