Hilo grandmother sentenced to 10 years probation in starvation death of 9-year-old granddaughter

A 67-year-old Hilo woman was sentenced Feb. 13 to 10 years probation in the death of her 9-year-old granddaughter nearly 9 years.

Hilo Circuit Court Judge Henry Nakamoto on Thursday handed down the probation sentence for Henrietta Stone, who had legal custody of her granddaughter Shaelynn Lehano-Stone.

Shaelynn starved to death in 2016.

The judge also ordered Stone receive credit for jail time she served from 2017 to 2024 and that she will not serve any additional time behind bars.

Nakamoto’s ruling was made despite arguments by prosecutors, who recommended in a presentence investigation report that Stone be sentenced to the maximum prison penalty, as well as letters submitted by the 9-year-old’s teachers and emergency medical personnel who responded after she was found unresponsive June 28, 2016, at her grandmother’s Kino‘ole Street home.

“There aren’t words to describe my disappointment and frustration in the outcome of this case. Shaelynn and our community deserved much better,” said Hawai‘i County Prosecuting Attorney Kelden Waltjen after Stone’s sentencing. “We will not let this result discourage our ongoing efforts to protect our keiki.”

Shaelynn weighed just 45 pounds and was only 53 inches tall when first responders with the Hawai‘i police and fire departments discovered her unconscious and severely malnourished, lying on the floor in Stone’s home where she lived.

The 9-year-old was transported to Hilo Medical Center and died a few hours later.

The last time other family members saw Shaelynn alive was on Thanksgiving 2015. She was pulled out of Hilo Union Elementary School the same month to be home-schooled.

Her death was determined to be from malnutrition, with acute pneumonia and severe kidney infection as contributing factors.

Stone was arrested in July 2017, a year after Shaelynn died. The child’s parents Tiffany Stone, who is Henrietta Stone’s daughter, and her husband Kevin Lehano also were taken into custody at the time.

All three were initially indicted for second-degree murder, accused of denying the girl food, water and medical treatment for about a year before she died.

Henrietta Stone was detained on $100,000 bail until being released July 24, 2024, when she posted the cash bail. That was 5 months after she appeared Feb. 6, 2024, in Hilo Circuit Court and pleaded no contest to manslaughter in Shaelynn’s death.

Her sentencing was originally set for April 16, 2024, but the hearing was continued at the request of Stone’s lawyer. She also asked the court at that time for supervised release; however, prosecutors objected.

Manslaughter is punishable by either 20 years in prison or 10 years probation and up to 2 years in jail. Prosecutors sought the maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Tiffany Stone and Lehano also pleaded no contest to manslaughter in the death of their daughter.

Prosecutors argued for the maximum 20-year prison sentence in both of those cases as well; however, Tiffany Stone was sentenced March 22, 2021, to 10 years probation and 2 years in jail and Lehano received the same sentence on June 30, 2021.

“[Shaelynn’s] death was caused by the three people who she should have been able to trust the most,” said Waltjen.

Maj. Scott Amaral with the Hawai‘i Police Department Area I Operations Bureau, formerly a detective with the Area I Juvenile Aid Section, led the investigation into the 9-year-old girl’s death, assisted by members of the Area I Juvenile Aid Section.

The case was prosecuted by Hawai‘i County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Kevin Hashizaki.

News reporter Nathan Christophel contributed to this story.