Verdict is no comfort for Kahealani's mom
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
Lehua Mamala-Tumbaga has turned the living room of her Halawa apartment into a shrine for her murdered daughter, Kahealani Indreginal. Christopher Aki was convicted of manslaughter in the 11-year-old's death.
| • | Jury rules out murder, opts for manslaughter |
By Peter Boylan
Advertiser Staff Writer
Several hours after the verdict was read, Lehua Mamala-Tumbaga sat in her living room surrounded by pictures and mementos of her 11-year-old daughter.
Mamala-Tumbaga despaired over the jury's decision to convict Christopher Aki of manslaughter instead of murder for killing her daughter Kahealani "Kahea" Indreginal.
Kahealani "Kahea" Indreginal was 11 years old when she was killed in December 2002.
"I was hurt with the decision they came up with," she said looking around her second-floor apartment in Pu'uwai Momi public housing. "I wanted more. I wanted second-degree murder."
Two days after her daughter's memorial service in December 2002, Mamala-Tumbaga converted the living room into an elaborate shrine honoring Kahealani's brief, but by all accounts, beautiful life.
Lei-draped pictures and ornate family photos fill every corner of the room, depicting a smiling Kahea beside her seven brothers and sisters. Multicolored lights and candles cover the shelves and end tables, which are overflowing with trinkets from Kahea's many hobbies.
A collage of certificates lauding the girl's academic and artistic efforts line one wall of the cramped room. The green-and-white quilt that Kahea was knitting days before her death sits encased in glass, delicately draped over a gourd she used at hula practice.
"She accomplished everything in life. She set a good example," Mamala-Tumbaga said, touching a picture of her daughter. "She achieved lots in her short time."
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
Mamala-Tumbaga said although she would have preferred a murder conviction, she cannot judge her daughter's killer.
Kahealani's brief life is traced in the mountains of memorabilia her mother has on display in their Pu'uwai Momi home.
"I'm not God; if justice is not served here, it will be served above," she said. "We have to leave it in God's hands. We're not the evil ones."
As she spoke, two small children wrestled playfully nearby, blissfully unaware of the tragic circumstance that surrounds their family.
Ezra Aki is the 2-year-old son of Christopher Aki and Kahealani's older half sister, Tanya Mamala-Tumbaga. Keneki Indreginal, his playmate, is the 4-year-old brother of Kahealani and the son of Lehua Mamala-Tumbaga.
Ezra screamed gleefully yesterday as he tussled with Keneki. Keneki, fought back, tossing Ezra onto a pile of green pillows, unaware that his playmate is the son of the man convicted of killing his sister.
"Don't you think it's better that he (Keneki) knows nothing?" asked Lehua Mamala-Tumbaga.
Kahealani's father, Vincent Indreginal, said by phone yesterday that he wasn't happy with the verdict but no matter what it was, it didn't matter because his daughter was still dead.
"To me and my family, we lose no matter what because it won't bring my daughter back," he said. "No sentencing will be enough."
The father said Aki did not make many friends throughout the ordeal.
"It is safer for him if he stays in jail," he said. "He made a lot of enemies along the way. He pointed fingers at a lot of people."
At Pu'uwai Momi, animosity toward Aki was evident among residents. Many were shocked and angered that Aki was not convicted of murder.
They remembered the quiet, 5-foot-2, 110-pound girl, described as responsible and studious, who was never far from family and friends. She liked to read, dance the hula, and play basketball and dodge ball and never got angry or moody. Outside her door, there were hundreds of kids to play with in the crowded public housing area where she lived.
Just a good, happy child, said those who knew her.
So when Kahealani disappeared Dec. 10, 2002, people feared the worst. When her body was found three days later, no one could imagine who could have killed her. When Aki was arrested and charged with her murder, the betrayal seemed unreal.
"Kahea is not going to get justice," said Mary Picha yesterday. "She never even have a life yet."
Barefoot and partially clothed children played in the dusty patches of grass that mark the paths between the cream-colored housing blocks. Adults sat on stoops outside their front doors. Others milled about the crowd of kids, collecting their children.
"I would give him the death penalty because that was one baby," said Sandy Calzo, a mother of eight. "That's sad. I don't think that's right."
Advertiser staff writer Mike Leidemann contributed to this report. Reach Peter Boylan at 535-8110 or pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.
