HONOLULU, Hawaii – Stephen Brown and Hailey Dandurand have been handed life sentences for their roles in the brutal murder of Telma Boinville, a woman who was cleaning a vacation rental on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Brown was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole for murder, kidnapping a child, and burglary. Dandurand received a life sentence with the possibility of parole for murder and kidnapping, as well as additional terms for burglary and possession of confidential personal information.
The families of Brown and Dandurand requested a lighter sentence. In Brown’s case, his adoptive parents apparently offered context of him having a rough life while Brown’s defense tried to lay blame on Dandurand. According to Dandurand’s defense, Brown was the mastermind behind everything, and Hailey said she went along with Brown out of fear that he would hurt her next. The judge denied this claim, and both defendants received their sentences earlier this week.
During the sentencing, Judge Rowena Somerville referred to the case as one of the most heinous in Hawaii. Boinville had stumbled upon the defendants while she was working, and instead of leaving, they chose to attack her with multiple weapons, including knives, a machete, and a meat tenderizer. She was stabbed in the neck, and her head was cleaved open with the machete. The killing led to the conviction of both Brown and Dandurand for second-degree murder, burglary, and kidnapping.
The murder sent shockwaves through the peaceful North Shore neighborhood of Pupukea, where Boinville was a well-respected 51-year-old teacher. As the attack unfolded, her eight-year-old daughter Makana was waiting in the car, only to be kidnapped and informed of her mother’s murder once inside the home.
Kevin Emery, Boinville’s husband, testified at the sentencing, recounting the traumatic impact the incident had on their daughter, who is now 14 years old. He emphasized her constant fear of being in unfamiliar environments and her extreme caution when entering any space that might pose a threat. The emotional toll has been such that Emery had to drive his daughter to school for three years to ensure her safety.
It marks the conclusion of a five-year search for justice in Boinville’s tragic case. Some of Boinville’s family and friends feel justice isn’t being served by the likelihood of parole related to all those sentences.