'Peter Boy' Kema: Parents charged with son's murder 19 years after he went missing
Peter Kema Jr vanished in 1997, aged six
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The parents of a murdered six-year-old boy have been charged with his death, 19 years after he was declared missing.
Peter Kema Sr and Jaylin Kema have been arrested by Hawaii police and charged by a grand jury with second-degree murder.
Their son, "Peter Boy" Kema, disappeared from his Hawaii home in 1997 and while his body was never found, police had concluded he was murdered.
Peter Boy was not reported missing until January 1998, months after he was last seen alive.
His parents have denied wrongdoing.
In 2015, his younger sister Lina Acol called on her mother to "say something", Hawaii News Now reports.
She said: "Just come out already. It's time to come out.
"We all want to know what happened."
The parents of Peter Boy had long been suspects but prosecutors say they had not had enough evidence until now.
Hawaii County deputy Prosecutor Rick Damerville said the charges had been "a long time coming".
He added: "Peter Boy, this Sunday, would have been 25 years old.
"We'd like to thank the members of the community ... civilians that came forward over the years and helped move this case forward.
"Even the community didn't forget."
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments