HONOLULU – The parents of a Hawaii boy who has been missing for nearly 20 years have been charged with murder after authorities reopened the case and re-evaluated the evidence.
The boy's parents have long been suspects in the 1997 disappearance of then 6-year-old "Peter Boy" Kema, but prosecutors said there hadn't been enough evidence to charge them until now.
Peter Kema Sr. had told authorities he took his son to Oahu and gave him to a longtime family friend.
A grand jury indicted Peter and Jaylin Kema on second-degree murder charges Wednesday. The boy's father is being held on $500,000 bail after being arrested Thursday on an unrelated traffic offense. The mother was arrested in Hilo and her bail has been set at $150,000.
It's not clear whether the parents have attorneys. The Hilo public defender's office said they couldn't confirm or deny they were representing the parents.
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