Woman pleads no contest to manslaughter

KAILUA-KONA — A Naalehu woman faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading no contest to a single charge of manslaughter in connection with an April double stabbing at a Ka‘u park that left one dead.

Kaleianuenue Borero-Kaluna appeared Tuesday before Kona Circuit Judge Melvin Fujino, and entered the no contest plea to manslaughter, a lesser included offense to the second-degree murder charge filed in connection with the April 26 incident at Whittington Beach Park. In exchange for her plea, prosecutors agreed to drop charges of attempted first-degree and attempted second-degree murder, court documents show.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Stephen Frye said the state and defense agreed to the lesser offense because of extreme mental or emotional disturbance at the time of the stabbing.

The plea agreement indicates Fujino has the option of sentencing Borero-Kaluna to 20 years incarceration, eight years in prison as a young adult defendant or 10 years probation and up to two years in jail. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 6.

The original three charges stem from an incident in which police say Borero-Kaluna stabbed a 36-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman at the county park off Highway 11 in Ka‘u. Both suffered multiple stab wounds and the woman, later identified as Marie Lyn Boyles, died at the scene.

According to a probable cause statement, the man suffered injuries to his shoulder, right rib/torso and right hip areas and was taken to Hilo Medical Center for treatment.

The man told police he and Boyles were attacked by his girlfriend, who was wielding a 6- to 8-inch fixed-blade knife, according to the document. Borero-Kaluna was later identified as the suspect.

Police said witnesses reported that after the stabbing, Borero-Kaluna left the scene with another individual in a red pickup truck. It was later revealed in court that Borero-Kaluna was eight months pregnant at the time of the incident.

In July, Kona District Judge Margaret Masunaga found Borero-Kaluna fit to proceed after a contested hearing triggered when a panel of three doctors split on whether the woman was fit to proceed and was criminally responsible for her conduct. She subsequently waived her right to a preliminary hearing, sending the case to Circuit Court for trial. Trial was set to commence Oct. 22.

Borero-Kaluna remains in custody at Hawaii Community Correctional Center in lieu of $150,000 bail.

Email Laura Ruminski at lruminski@westhawaiitoday.com.