Seniola Kafoa, left, during his sentencing in Hawaii (KGMB/YouTube).
A Hawaii man was sentenced to prison for taking a machete and slaying his wife”s lover, local reports say.
Seniola Kafoa, 47, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison following the death of 53-year-old Sione Paletua, a father of seven, as reported by local CBS affiliate KGMB. Kafoa was found guilty of manslaughter by a jury in May.
“Sending him to prison, Your Honor, is the only fitting penalty for this case. It will convey a message not only to the defendant but also to the residents of Maui that committing murder due to personal issues such as a cheating spouse is unacceptable,” stated Prosecutor Frank Loyd.
The incident took place on July 20, 2024, in Maui. Authorities reported that on that day, officers arrived at the scene, directed by a man to Paletua, who was found unconscious with a significant injury to his arm.
Police officers applied a tourniquet, and paramedics transported Paletua to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival. A witness recounted seeing Kafoa standing over the body before departing in a Honda, which was later discovered abandoned. Kafoa was subsequently apprehended and charged with second-degree murder.
Despite prosecutors initially charging Kafoa with murder, the jury arrived at a verdict of manslaughter, leaving the victim’s family dissatisfied.
“One day he will have to meet his maker, the man above, and he will have to answer to him on why he did what he did,” Paletua’s oldest daughter said.
She and her siblings lost their mom to cancer in 2011. Now they are without both parents.
“One of the biggest voids left by our dad is the sense of security he provided. Since we’ve already lost our mom, it was comforting to know that in this chaotic world, we still had our dad with us,” she conveyed.
Kafoa apologized to Paleuta’s family through a Tongan interpreter.
Circuit Judge Peter Cahill issued the maximum prison sentence under law.
“It is a horrific death under circumstances that sadly occurred, but the bottom line is, it did happen, and we can’t ignore it,” he said.
