UPDATE: Arraignments Held for Couple Charged in Death of Child

Kyle McKeown, photo by Wendy Osher.

Grace Lee-Nakamoto, photo by Wendy Osher.

By Wendy Osher

Arraignments were held this afternoon for two Wailuku residents charged with second degree murder in the death of a four-year-old Maui boy.

Kyle McKeown, 32, and Grace Lee-Nakamoto, 27, appeared in court today before Maui Second Circuit Judge Richard Bissen.

Preliminary hearings for both defendants has been set for next week Tuesday, June 5, 2012.

Attorneys for both defendants voiced objections to the judicial determination of probable cause document filed by the state, saying there was insufficient evidence to establish probable cause. McKeown’s attorney argued that the timeline of events did not link his client to the cause of injuries.

Maui Judge Richard Bissen. Photo by Wendy Osher.

The charges stem from a May 29, 2012 incident in which the male child was brought in to the Maui Memorial Medical Center for treatment. Police had said the child was brought in by his father after being found unresponsive within the shower of their residence.

Maui police say the child victim had sustained severe blunt force trauma to his internal organs and subsequently succumbed to his injuries early Wednesday morning, May, 30, 2012.

Both McKeown and Lee-Nakamoto were being held on $500,000 each.

At today’s court proceeding, McKeown’s attorney also sought a bail study, which was ordered for the same time and location as the preliminary hearing.

Photo by Wendy Osher.

Photo by Wendy Osher.