Parents of Hawaii boy missing since 1997 pleaded not guilty to murder

Published May 01, 2016

FILE - In this April 27, 1998 file photo, Peter Kema Sr. and Jaylin Kema, parents of missing Hawaii boy Peter Kema, known as "Peter Boy," speak in Honolulu. (Jeff Widener/The Honolulu Advertiser via AP, File)

Parents of a Hawaii boy who has been missing for nearly 20 years have pleaded not guilty to murder charges.

The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports that in two separate courtrooms on Friday 46-year-old Jaylin Kema and her 45-year-old husband, Peter Kema Sr., pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder.

The boy's parents have long been suspects in the 1997 disappearance of then 6-year-old Peter Kema Jr., known as "Peter Boy," but prosecutors say there hadn't been enough evidence to charge them until now.

READ: Parents indicted in cold case murder of Hawaiian boy

Peter Kema Sr. had told authorities he took his son to Oahu and gave him to a longtime family friend.

Jaylin Kema's trial has been scheduled for Aug. 22, while her husband has a Sept. 19 date.

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