A 67-year-old grandmother in Hawaii has avoided prison time after being convicted in connection with the death of her 9-year-old granddaughter, who weighed only 45 pounds when she starved in 2016 under the woman’s care.
A judge sentenced the woman to 10 years of probation despite prosecutors seeking the maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The sentencing decision has sparked outrage, with authorities expressing deep disappointment over what they see as an inadequate punishment for the child’s tragic death. The prosecuting attorney stated that the young girl and the community deserved a much harsher outcome, emphasizing that those responsible were the very people the child should have been able to trust the most.
The grandmother pleaded no contest to one count of manslaughter after initially being charged with second-degree murder. The victim’s parents, who were also convicted of manslaughter, received the same sentence of 10 years of probation. At the time of the child’s death, the grandmother was her legal guardian, making her ultimate responsibility even more significant.
Multiple victim impact statements were submitted to the court, including from teachers and emergency responders who treated the child. These statements, along with a pre-sentence investigation report, urged the court to impose a prison sentence rather than probation. Prosecutors reiterated that manslaughter carries a potential penalty of either 20 years in prison or 10 years of probation with up to two years in jail, arguing for the maximum punishment.
Authorities initially arrested the grandmother in 2016, and she remained in custody until July 2024, when she was released on a $100,000 bond.
The case unfolded after first responders were called to the home on June 28, 2016, where they found the unconscious and severely malnourished child lying on the floor. She was taken to a hospital, where she died hours later. Investigators revealed that in the months before her death, the grandmother had withdrawn the child from school to homeschool her. Alarms were placed on the refrigerator to restrict food access, and the girl’s weight at the time of her death was the same as it had been when she was only four years old.
The official cause of death was determined to be malnutrition, with additional factors including acute pneumonia and a severe kidney infection. At the time of her passing, the child was 53 inches tall and weighed only 45 pounds, underscoring the extent of the neglect she suffered.
