An Oʻahu man will spend the rest of his life in prison for a killing that rocked a quiet Mililani complex, after a jury found he brutally stabbed his 74-year-old mother and the family dog inside her apartment in early 2020. On Wednesday, a judge sentenced 39-year-old Jamil Hart to life in prison with the possibility of parole, capping a case that went to trial last year and ended in guilty verdicts in the fall. Court records show the sentence stems from a single incident that prosecutors said was calculated, violent, and anything but accidental.
According to KITV, the judge not only imposed the life term but also ordered a mandatory minimum of 15 years as part of Hart’s punishment. The prison time covers separate penalties tied to Hart’s burglary and animal-cruelty convictions in addition to the murder count.
Verdict And Charges
An Oʻahu jury found Hart guilty on September 22, 2025, of second-degree murder, second-degree attempted burglary, and first-degree animal cruelty, according to Hawaii News Now. During trial, prosecutors told jurors Hart stabbed his mother multiple times, then turned the knife on the family dog, and urged them to see the attack as intentional rather than chaotic or confused. “This was not an accident or a mistake,” they said in court.
What Happened Inside Waipio Gardens
Police say the attack unfolded on February 23, 2020, inside the woman’s Mililani apartment at the Waipio Gardens complex, where officers later discovered both victims, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported. Neighbors told reporters they heard glass shattering and screams cutting through the normally quiet complex shortly before officers found Hart nearby, allegedly trying to break into a church. Investigators recovered a knife at the scene that they said was used in the attack.
Sentence Details And Parole
Per KITV, the Hawaii Paroling Authority will decide how long Hart must actually serve before he can seek release. That administrative panel will set his minimum term for parole eligibility, meaning the life sentence on paper will be further defined in a separate review. The judge’s order locks in the mandatory 15-year minimum while leaving the finer points of any future parole timeline to the paroling authority.
Defense, Mental Health, And A Deal
Hart’s attorneys argued he was suffering from mental illness at the time of the killing and urged jurors to consider his state of mind. Prosecutors countered with testimony and other evidence that they said showed deliberate intent and possible drug use, Hawaii News Now reported.
Prosecutors initially sought an extended sentence that could have resulted in life without parole, noting that the victim was over 60 years old. That bid for a harsher punishment was later withdrawn under a deal in which Hart agreed not to appeal his conviction, effectively trading away his challenge rights in exchange for avoiding the possibility of never being considered for parole.
Legal Stakes Under Hawaii Law
Under Hawaii law, second-degree murder is generally punishable by life imprisonment with the possibility of parole, and the Hawaii Paroling Authority is tasked with setting minimum terms for when an inmate can first be considered for release. According to Justia, Hawaii Revised Statutes §706-656 also details when courts can impose enhanced or extended terms that convert a life-with-parole sentence into life without parole in particularly aggravated cases.
