On June 28, 2016, Hawaii police and fire department personnel were summoned to a home for a report of an unresponsive child. First responders were confronted with what appeared to be a severely malnourished and unconscious young girl lying on the floor within the home. She was transported to the Hilo Medical Center where she died a few hours later. The young girl was later identified as Shaelynn Lehano-Stone’s.
From Shaelynn birth in September 2006, Department of Human Services’ Child Welfare records show, she had been taken from her parents Kevin Lehano and Tiffany Stone, and placed in foster care. Two years later in May 2008, she was returned to her parents. In just a few months, by August of the same year, the state agency received reports of physical abuse, neglect, and threats from the child’s mother, Tiffany Stone, but Child Welfare Services (CWS) reports workers weren’t able to confirm those reports so the investigation was closed.
The next year in January 2009, concerns were raised again due to Shaelynn weight loss over two years and the state confirmed a “failure to thrive.” She was again placed in foster custody. A few months later in August 2009, an additional confirmed threat of abuse by the mother kept the girl in foster care.
In 2011 Shaelynn was again reunited with her parents. A month after she was reunited, the mother said she could not care for the child and arranged for her mother, Henrietta Stone, to care for her via power of attorney. The grandmother was assessed as “minimally safe and appropriate” so a safety plan was put into place. The safety plan included parenting services and stress management.
August 2014, a “moderate level of risk and referred for Voluntary Case Management (not for investigation)” was assessed for all three adults by intake after CWS received another report of concern. A face-to-face assessment was done with the girl’s mother and father but not for the girl’s grandmother.
In November 2015, the grandmother filled out documents to have the girl home school. DOE and child services do not exchange information about abused children and the Department of Education’s form does not provide a way to reject a home school request.
“What we’ve seen in other cases is that parents who are abusing their kids will often apply to home school because that way nobody notices the signs of abuse,” said Randall Rosenberg, the attorney for the girl’s estate.
A year later… HPD and HFD would respond to the unresponsive call.
At only 9 years old, at the time of her death Shaelynn weighed only 45 pounds. CWS investigation cited physical neglect, medical neglect, failure to thrive, psychological abuse, psychological neglect, and physical abuse by her mother, father, and maternal grandmother. All three adults originally were charged with second-degree murder.
“Tiffany Stone takes no responsibility for her daughter’s death and did nothing to help her”
“The defendant watched while her daughter starved,” Tiapula said. “She didn’t feed her child in a house with three refrigerators, all of which had food in them.”
“And on the day her daughter lay down, never to get up again, this defendant saw her daughter lying on the floor in her own filth — and walked away.”
Tiapula requests for a 20-year sentence were rejected by Judge Henry Nakamoto.
Tiffany Stone, was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years probation and two years with time served for the four years served while the case had been in court.
On April 28, 2021, Lehano pleaded “No Contest” to the included offense of Manslaughter, which is defined as “recklessly causing the death of another person.” Manslaughter is a class “A” felony and carries a maximum penalty of twenty (20) years in prison.
Lehano was originally charged with Murder in the Second Degree, which is defined as “intentionally or knowingly causing the death of another person” and/or “intentionally or knowingly causing the death of another person by voluntarily omitting to perform a duty imposed by law.”
According to the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney. There are no agreements as to sentencing and the State has filed written input and intends to again argue for the maximum penalty.
Lehano case is also being prosecuted by Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Suzanna Tiapula.
The Office of the Prosecuting Attorney remains dedicated to the pursuit of justice with integrity and commitment. Anyone having information to assist local law enforcement should call Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300 in East Hawai‘i or (808) 329-8181 in West Hawai‘i.
2 comments
i wish that reporters, especially those involved in the Shaelynn Stone case, had more information on the relationship between child abuse/neglect cases and home school applications. I have that information and am concerned that the public is being misled by the suggestion that homeschool applications should involve vetting for child safety.
Aloha, you want to write a letter for us to publish about it. We will share it to our social media outlets for open discussion. Hopefully educate and/or help fix what is the primary concerns of the public.