Tantalus murder case put on hold
It might be months before proceedings in the Tantalus triple homicide case can continue, now that the accused killer has been deemed unfit for trial.
On Tuesday, Circuit Judge Dexter Del Rosario ruled 25-year-old Adam Mau-Goffredo unfit for trial and had him committed to the Hawaii State Hospital the next day.
If Mau-Goffredo is found to be unfit after care, the charges might be dropped. According to Hawaii law, the defendant can be discharged, or the state could oversee Mau-Goffredo's involuntary civil commitment for detention and treatment.
The state also could provide involuntary outpatient treatment and order the defendant to be released with conditions.
Mau-Goffredo is accused of shooting taxicab driver Manh Nguyen after Nguyen drove him to Tantalus lookout on July 6, 2006. He later allegedly shot dead Jason and Colleen Takamori of Kapahulu, who were at the lookout.
He also allegedly robbed a Round Top couple and their housekeeper at gunpoint, bound them with tape and stole their car. He faced multiple charges, including first- and second-degree murder, first-degree robbery and burglary.
Under state care, Mau-Goffredo will be given medication so he can become competent to stand trial and the case can move forward, said his defense attorney, Brook Hart.
"If not, he will stay at the hospital, and maybe additional efforts will be made to bring him to competence," Hart said. "But we're talking months from now before we find out."
Although a three-member court-appointed panel initially deemed him fit, all three experts later reversed their assessment of Mau-Goffredo, and Del Rosario ordered a new examination. A second court-appointed panel deemed Mau-Goffredo unfit. Hart said Mau-Goffredo has not been cooperating with him.
Hart has said in court documents that Mau-Goffredo is his most challenging client in his 39 years as a defense lawyer. Hart said he was pleased with the judge's decision. "I believe this is the appropriate posture for the case to be in at this time," he said.
Mau-Goffredo has previously been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. One expert, Ruben Gur, said Mau-Goffredo suffers from possible neurodevelopment abnormalities at birth and from damage due to head injuries incurred at ages 7 and 14.
Mau-Goffredo has claimed he was drugged by agents in Canada in 1997 and again in 2002 on a boat cruise. In court documents he said, "I was drugged at the age of 2, 1, 4, 3, 4, 6, 7, 13."
In a Sept. 20 meeting with Hart, Mau-Goffredo said he was "born in the Vatican government." He also said that if he was not released immediately, Armageddon would come, court records state. When asked to specify, Mau-Goffredo replied, "Plague, comet at 2012."
Court documents indicated the accused killer has not been taking his medication.
Further appointments with Mau-Goffredo were stalled because he would refuse to leave his cell and meet Hart.
When Hart visited his client's cell, he found a page torn from the Old Testament taped on the door. On it, Mau-Goffredo had written, "If guards notify you or ask you, deny all meetings. Don't meet lawyers or visitors. Do not let self be cuffed."
Also included in court records are dozens of pages handwritten by Mau-Goffredo, rambling about topics like Army robots, genitalia and a "conquering of Earth" on June 20, 2019.
