A Hawaii courtroom has delivered a verdict in a case that stunned investigators with its brutality. More than six years after a young mother and her infant son were found fatally stabbed inside their home, the man accused of killing them has now been convicted.
The case drew attention not only because of the horrific crime scene but also because of what happened in the hours that followed. Investigators said the suspect fled, crashed into another vehicle, and later admitted details about the night while being treated at a hospital.
According to True Crime News, the jury found 28-year-old Kendall Rashad Ramsey guilty in connection with the deaths of his girlfriend, 23-year-old Kayla Holder, and their 6-month-old son, Kainoa Ramsey. The case has remained one of Hawaii’s most disturbing domestic violence tragedies.
The truth inside the apartment was even more horrifying than anyone expected
According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the events began in March 2020 when Ramsey crashed into another vehicle before speeding away at up to 119 mph. Lynette Rojas, who was driving the other car, suffered injuries. Ramsey was taken to a hospital where he reportedly told a hospital worker he had been drinking, pushed and hit his girlfriend, then blacked out. He claimed he woke up and found his girlfriend and son dead.
During opening statements at Ramsey’s trial, which began July 27, Deputy Prosecutor Scott Bell described the crime scene. He said responding officers were unprepared for what they found inside the second-floor studio. Holder had been stabbed 38 times while baby Kainoa suffered 17 stab wounds.
Investigators also found a message written in blood on the wall that read, “I’m sorry. I stabbed her.” The remaining words stated that “She choked me.”
The heartbreaking case also comes amid other recent fatal stabbing investigations involving former partners. In another recent case, a 27-year-old single mother who worked seven days a week was allegedly stabbed by her ex-boyfriend.
Bell described the infant lying near a trash can in only a diaper with severe head injuries. Holder was found nearby in a pool of blood with visible stab wounds.
Ramsey was charged with first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, and one count of second-degree attempted murder. Prosecutors argued he was trying to kill himself when he crashed into Rojas’ vehicle after leaving the home. The attempted murder charge was tied to that crash.
The case also comes as courts continue to hand down decisions in other homicide prosecutions. In another recent case, a Utah woman was sentenced for orchestrating the deadly attack that killed her 21-year-old boyfriend.
His public defender, Hayley Cheng, said Ramsey endured an abusive childhood before joining the Army and was unemployed when the killings happened. She argued he had reached a “breaking point.” She also noted he had been hospitalized for suicidal thoughts weeks before Holder and Kainoa were killed.
On August 1, a jury found Ramsey guilty of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree assault, according to Hawaii News Now.
Prosecutor Steve Alm said, “They should still be alive,” adding that the brutal act permanently devastated their loved ones and expressing hope the verdict would bring some measure of justice.
A GoFundMe page for Holder described her as “beautiful inside & out.” It remembered her as a devoted daughter, mother, and U.S. Army soldier who died protecting her son.
According to KHON, Ramsey is scheduled to be sentenced on November 18 and faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Published: Aug 4, 2026 03:45 pm