Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
HONOLULU (AP) — The Latest on the sentencing of a father of a missing Hawaii boy (all times local):
9:35 a.m.
The top prosecutor on Hawaii's Big Island says the sentencing of the father of a boy who vanished 20 years ago shows the state needs to do more to protect abused children.
Prosecuting Attorney Mitch Roth says he'll push for legislation that will require a judge to weigh in when parents with a history of abuse want to pull a child out of school.
Roth says the 6-year-old known as "Peter Boy" was taken out of school and abused. Prosecutors believe he died after an arm injury went untreated.
Peter Kema Sr. was sentenced Monday to 20 years in prison for manslaughter. It was part of a deal with prosecutors that required him to reveal the location of his son's body.
He led authorities to a rural, coastal area, but no remains were found. Kema later passed a polygraph test.
___
8:50 a.m.
The father of a 6-year-old Hawaii boy has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for manslaughter two decades after the child disappeared.
TV station Hawaii News Now reports that Peter Kema Sr. was sentenced Monday in a deal with prosecutors that required him to reveal the location of his son's body.
He led police and prosecutors to a rural, coastal area of the Big Island, but authorities couldn't find any remains. Kema later passed a polygraph test, which allowed his sentencing to move forward.
Prosecutors believe the child, known as "Peter Boy," was abused and died after a festering arm sore went untreated.
The boy's mother, Jaylin Kema, was released from jail in April after serving a year for his death. She also pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
