A Fayetteville jury has sentenced a former Kona resident to life in prison for the 2022 killing of a woman who grew up on Hawaii Island, closing a brutal case that has haunted two communities for years. Jurors found 33-year-old Kacey Kawika Jennings guilty in the death of 28-year-old Allison Maria Castro. Prosecutors said Castro was shot, dismembered and her remains dumped in Beaver Lake, turning a mainland reservoir into the final site of a crime that began with a relationship forged in Hawaii.
The jury convicted Jennings on charges that included capital murder, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and theft, and the court ordered life without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors had pushed for the death penalty. Local reporting notes that Jennings also picked up additional prison time and financial penalties; according to Hawaii News Now, he faces 22 extra years behind bars and $30,000 in fines tied to the related counts.
Evidence Shown to Jury
Jurors were shown hours of videos Jennings recorded himself, in which he talked about his relationship with Castro and gave his version of what happened after the shooting. Investigators said fishermen later found a pair of lower legs floating in Beaver Lake, a discovery that set off a grim recovery effort. Jennings ultimately led police to the spots where he said he had dumped Castro’s head, torso and remaining legs, along with the shotgun used, according to 4029tv.
Family Testimony
Castro’s mother, Michelle Tomas, traveled from Kona to Fayetteville to face the man convicted of killing her daughter. She testified in court and read a victim-impact statement during the penalty phase. Tomas told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that she had made dozens of trips to Arkansas searching for her daughter’s remains and appeared in court to pursue justice on her behalf.
Legal Notes
The defense maintained that the shooting was accidental and argued Jennings did not have the malicious intent required for a capital murder conviction. Prosecutors countered with a starkly different narrative and urged jurors to impose the harshest punishment available. Local coverage detailed the opening statements and the often-emotional testimony in the penalty phase. Jennings’ attorney, Toney Brasuell, later told the NWA Signal that the life sentence was “a good resolution to this case.”
Background
Court proceedings revealed that both Jennings and Castro had attended Kealakehe High School on Hawaii Island and reconnected after leaving the islands. The case drew intense attention in Hawaii, not only because of Castro’s deep Kona roots but also because of the disturbing details that surfaced as evidence at trial, as reported by Hawaii News Now.
