Nāʻālehu woman gets life in prison, consecutive 20-year term for 2009 murder

A Nāʻālehu woman – 62-year-old Patricia Wong – has been sentenced to life in prison and a consecutive 20-year prison term for the June 2009 murder of Kaycee Smith at a residence in the Orchidland Estates subdivision.

Smith had a single gunshot wound to her head.

On Nov. 27, 2023, a Hilo jury found Wong guilty as charged of murder in the second degree, attempted murder in the second degree, conspiracy to commit murder in the second degree,
and two counts of criminal solicitation.

On Tuesday, Wong appeared in Hilo Circuit Court where she was sentenced to the maximum penalty of life in prison with the possibility of parole for both murder in the second degree and attempted murder in the second degree.

Wong was also sentenced to a concurrent 20-year prison term for two counts of criminal solicitation and a single count of conspiracy to commit murder in the second degree.

The court ordered that the 20-year prison term be served consecutively to the life in prison term.

The investigation was handled by Hawai‘i Police Department Capt. Rio Amon-Wilkins and Det. Derek Morimoto of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section. The case was prosecuted by deputy prosecuting attorneys Annaliese Wolf and Matt Woodward.

“We are glad the court recognized the severity of the actions taken by the defendant by handing down a consecutive sentence,” said Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Wolf.

“She made a plan to commit murder and took relentless criminal actions to achieve her goal of killing Kaycee Smith,” Wolf continued. “The court has provided a clear and strong message to the defendant that her actions were abhorrent, egregious and deserved the most serious punishment and that there is no place for this kind of heinous conduct in our community.”