A Kailua-Kona man who pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of first-degree assault in connection with stabbings in Hilo and Kona in 2022 was sentenced Wednesday by Circuit Court Judge Robert D.S. Kim.
Kim sentenced Chito Asuncion to two life sentences with the possibility of parole for the murder charges and 10 years each for the assault charges. The terms of incarceration will run consecutively with each count, meaning he will serve them one after the other.
Kim went over the nature of the offenses and the need for the sentence to reflect the seriousness. He said they were brutal, horrendous crimes with no justification, and Asuncion is an extremely dangerous person who has not shown any remorse for the crimes.
“(Kim) was quite strong and well thought out and prepared with his reasoning behind the consecutive sentences,” said Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Chase Murray.
“Today’s sentencing holds Chito Asuncion responsible for the pain and suffering that he inflicted,” said Prosecuting Attorney Kelden Waltjen. “This would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of our police, prosecutors, victim advocates, and support staff.”
Murray credited police for the job they did identifying and ultimately arresting Asuncion.
“They did a lot of old fashion, grinding police work. We wouldn’t have even known he was a suspect if they hadn’t reviewed countless hours of video surveillance from at least five locations in Kona,” he said.
Detective Anson Caceres volunteered for the tedious task of reviewing and recovering limited video surveillance from cameras closest to the area of the crime. After countless days of reviewing the videos, he noted a peculiar reaction of a passerby the morning of the murder that occurred behind the Kona Post Office.
He then began the painstaking process of breaking down recovered video into smaller sequences until the suspect could be seen walking toward the Old Industrial Area. By analyzing and piecing together the individual videos, he was able to follow the path of the subject, until he was able to get a clear image of the suspicious individual, later identified as Asuncion. For his efforts Caceres was selected the Kona Crime Prevention Committee’s Officer of the Year.
Asuncion was indicted in September 2022 on charges of first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder and two counts each of second-degree murder and second-degree attempted murder in connection with the stabbing deaths of 63-year-old Brian Macaulay and 48-year-old Boyd Maygra, and the nonfatal stabbings of two others in Hilo.
Macaulay’s body was found behind the Kailua-Kona Post Office, near the Palani Road and Queen Kaahumanu Highway intersection, and Maygra’s body found with multiple stab wounds at Hale Halawai Park in Kailua Village
In November, court proceedings were suspended when a mental evaluation was ordered.
Asuncion was found fit, and a trial date was set for Oct. 31. However, the plea agreement was reached with prosecutors on Aug. 28, and he pled guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of the lesser charge of first-degree assault, with the first-degree murder charges dropped.
The Hawaii Paroling Authority will set minimum sentences on the charges.
Murray said the average minimum sentence for second-degree murder is 35 years, which if set would not make Asuncion eligible for parole for at least 75 years in addition to the minimum set for the assault charges.
“While Asuncion thought little of the lives of Brian Macaulay, Boyd Maygra, Gary Nakagawa or Alice Coleman, they mattered, they were loved, and they were valued by their family, their friends, and our community. Today’s sentence is a testament to that,” said Murray.