KAILUA-KONA — The mother of a 35-year-old woman stabbed to death in April at a Ka’u park did not mince words Friday at the sentencing of the woman who killed her daughter.
“She’s a wicked person,” Karen Boyles said, stepping back from the podium in Kona Circuit Court Judge Melvin H. Fujino’s courtroom as 20-year-old Kaleianuenue Borero-Kaluna awaited her fate. “And, I hope she dies.”
Boyles’s statement followed the judge reminding the mother that he was statutorily limited to sentencing Borero-Kaluna to a maximum 20 years in prison after she told the court Borero-Kaluna deserved life behind bars.
“She killed my daughter. She killed her. I’ll never get her back,” Boyles said of her only daughter, Marie Lyn Boyles, who left behind four children of her own when she died April 26 following the incident at Whittington Beach Park, known locally as Honuapo.
Borero-Kaluna in September pleaded no contest to manslaughter in connection with the fatal double stabbing that also seriously injured a 36-year-old male. At the time, Borero-Kaluna was eight months pregnant with the man’s child.
Both the man and Marie Lyn Boyles were at the park when attacked by Borero-Kaluna with a 6- to 8-inch knife. Boyles died at the scene, while the man, who told police Borero-Kaluna was his girlfriend, was treated at Hilo Medical Center.
In exchange for Borero-Kaluna’s no contest plea, prosecutors dropped charges of attempted first-degree and attempted second-degree murder. Manslaughter was a lesser-included offense of the third original charge of second-degree murder.
On Friday, Fujino sentenced Borero-Kaluna as a youthful offender, ordering her to serve eight years in prison for her actions that day at the Hawaii County Park.
Prior to the sentence being handed down, Borero-Kaluna told the court she’s had no choice but to deal with her situation in the eight months since the stabbing.
“I have dealt with my fair share of trails and tribulations and I continue to deal with them daily. This one by far is the worst. I’m so speechless of my actions I wish I could turn back time and do everything differently unfortunately it doesn’t work like that,” she said. “I’ve grown a lot as a person and learned about myself as well. My family raised me better than this and it’s sad to say I let them down but more importantly I let myself down.”
“And, honestly, I am so truly sorry to the family and their loss. I regret everyday the poor decision that led me up to this predicament,” she continued, later stating, “I understand there are consequences to my actions and I am ready to face them,” before thanking the judge for his time.
Fujino’s eight-year prison sentence was less than the 20 years sought by Deputy Prosecutor Stephen Frye, but greater than the recommendation from Ann Datta, Borero-Kaluna’s public defender, of probation with credit for time served of 225 days.
In recommending probation, Datta pointed to her client’s age at the time of the offense, and the fact that Borero-Kaluna had essentially been “groomed” from the age of 14, when the man, then age 31, moved in with the family.
“He groomed her, and began a sexual relationship with her. He convinced her they were in love, he convinced her to heighten the relationship and he sexually abused her for continued years until she got pregnant at 18,” Datta said.
She added Borero-Kaluna was eight months pregnant when she found out the man was having an “affair,” but stated her client was hopeful to talk and work things out with him.
“She was shocked to find him sleeping with another woman. She lost it,” Datta said. “She is deeply remorseful.”
Frye, in arguing for the maximum sentence, reminded the court the case was initiated with murder and attempted murder charges, noting Borero-Kaluna went to the park with a hunting knife.
“On the day of the incident, she intentionally went to the beach park. She knew what she was going to see when she got there, and she showed up with a knife,” Frye said later adding, “Ms. Boyles did nothing to instigate the attack. The defendant took out her anger and her rage on Ms. Boyles when, arguably, if anyone, not that anyone deserved to be attacked that day, but her anger was directed at (the man) whom she was in a relationship with.”
Further, he stated, while a presentence investigation report outlined a “blend of mitigating circumstances on behalf of the defendant saying that she’s trying to better herself,” it also noted substance abuse issues that preceded the incident and use of methamphetamine by Borero-Kaluna during the pending case.
“She’s in jail using methamphetamine,” Frye said. “I don’t believe that shows the court any kind of progress in this case and certainly the state believes she should be sentenced to 20 years.”
West Hawaii Today reached out to the state Department of Public Safety, which oversees Hawaii Community Correctional Center where Borero-Kaluna was held for more than seven months, unable to post $150,000 bail.
Department of Public Safety Spokeswoman Toni Schwartz said the department would refrain from comment until provided details “from the individual prosecutor who made the statement.”
“We can tell you that our staff work very hard to monitor and eliminate contraband pathways. Contraband is an on-going battle for correctional facilities across the nation. Stopping contraband from entering any correctional facility is an ongoing effort that we prioritize to ensure the health, safety and welfare of our staff, the community, as well as the inmates,” Schwartz’s emailed response read. “Our staff are committed to fighting this battle, by rooting out the pathways and curbing contraband introduction in our facilities.”
Both Datta and Frye declined comment post-hearing.
Shortly after Friday’s sentencing, Datta filed a motion to reduce the sentence, court records indicate. A hearing had yet to be set as of press time.
