Manh Nguyen
July 6, 2006
Honolulu, Hawaii

Honolulu Star-Bulletin
(Honolulu, Hawaii)
July 7, 2006

Triple murder began with botched robbery

Star-Bulletin Staff

Police are holding a 23-year-old man suspected of shooting
three people to death at the Tantalus lookout last night before
tying up and robbing three others who live nearby.

The suspect, Adam Koon Wai Mau-Goffredo, has no prior
criminal record, police said.

Police said Mau-Goffredo took a taxi van up to the lookout, then
shot 50-year-old taxi driver Manh Nguyen during a struggle.

Police said Mau-Goffredo then shot a couple, Jason and Colleen
Takamori, both 53, who were at the lookout taking pictures of the
city lights.

Investigators said the suspect may have been trying to hold up
Nguyen and ended up shooting everyone at the lookout.

"This appears to be a botched robbery," said Homicide Lt. Bill
Kato.

Mau-Goffredo then took the taxi and drove it to 3703 Round Top
Drive and forced his way into the home of Joe and Francine
Gedan, police said.

Mau-Goffredo tied up the Gedans and a live-in housekeeper
before stealing a Jaguar and fleeing.

The Gedans and their housekeeper escaped their bindings and
called police.

Gedan, a retired U.S. Magistrate Judge and U.S. Attorney, said
he and his wife are OK, but had no idea until later that the man
in their house may had already killed three people.

"He confronted six people," said Gedan. "Out of six he killed
three and didn't kill us."

At about 8:20 p.m., police caught Mau-Goffredo at a checkpoint
near the intersection of Makiki Heights Drive and Tantalus Drive.

He was arrested for investigation of first-degree robbery and also
is under investigation for one count of first-degree murder, three
counts of second-degree murder, three counts of kidnapping,
and firearm violations.

A first-degree murder conviction carries a prison term of life
without parole.

Kato said police are looking for the .45 caliber gun used in the
robbery, which was also believed to have been used in the
murders.

Police said officers originally responded to a 911 report of two
armed suspects robbing two victims. However, when they arrived
at the lookout, they found three people with gunshot wounds.

One of them, Jason Takamori, was still alive and was rushed by
ambulance to the Queen's Medical Center, where he later died.

Capt. Frank Fujii of the Honolulu Police Department said his
officers wanted to talk to the person who initially reported the
robbery. He said the call was cut off before the caller could be
identified or traced.

At the time police believed there was more than one suspect and
they brought in additional manpower and equipment, including
the police helicopter, to search the area.

Police closed Round Top Drive and a portion of Tantalus drive
from 7:50 p.m. yesterday to 12:45 a.m. today.

Makiki resident Jason Holmbo, who has lived at on the 2500
block of Round Top Drive all his life, joined many of his irate
neighbors and waited more than two hours to return home.

"I'm (mad) all we can do is wait here and watch. I got work at 5
a.m.," said Holmbo, who noted that this was not the first time he
had to wait for a police blockade to clear before he could return
home.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

KGMB-TV Channel 9
(Honolulu, Hawaii)
July 7, 2006

Cab Company Shocked by Death

Norman Lee

The President of Signature Cab Holdings said he cannot
remember anything like this happening since he has been in
charge.

"We have had in the cab, several incidences of robbery and
assault," said Howard Higa, president of Signature Cab Holdings.
"But this is the first time we've had such a dramatic happening in
the company and i'm very sad about that."

Fifty-year-old taxi driver Manh Nguyen signed on with Signature
Cab three years ago. The shocking news about his murder last
night came in a simple phone call by police.

"We received the call from HPD through our dispatch to notify us
that there was a shooting of one of our drivers," said Higa.

The news about his death came in a second phone call.  This
time, from Nguyen's family.

"Our company is very close-knit and the company as well as with
our 600 drivers, we believe we're like a family," said Higa. "All
the girls in the office knew this driver and they were like friends
and family."

"I just talked with him last night," said Signature cab driver Thai
Son. "And today happened. I don't believe (it). And I just
check(ed) around and my friends say it's true."

Signature cab drivers posted at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel said
Nguyen split time between the Sheraton and the Hale Koa Hotel.
He is described as a man with a personality that at times can be
a bit salty. However, he also had a good sense of humor.

Son said that part of him surfaced during his last phone
conversation with Nguyen last night.

"(He was) just kidding me. He (was) joking (around with) me and
I said, aw old man, just go back to work," Son said with a laugh.

"I personally knew the driver, very nice person," Higa said. "He's
a professional driver and I'm sorry for the loss. I'm sorry for the
loss for his family and we're taking that loss as well."

The incident has heightened concerns about the quality of safety
measures for the taxi drivers. The company is sending out
messages to its drivers reminding them to exercise caution
about the type of people they pick up and to go over their
emergency procedures.

One of those procedures is a so-called "panic button" the
company had installed in its fleet.

"In case something happens, whether it's a medical emergency
or another kind of emergency, the driver has the ability to notify
dispatch and dispatch will notify HPD," said Higa.

"And every five seconds, the GPS will send us his location and
we can get on the phone and contact HPD right away," said
Wayne Greenfield, operations manager for Signature Cab
Holdings.

"Unfortunately, in this case, the panic button was not pressed.
We can only make assumptions that our driver didn't have
enough time to push the panic button or things got out of
control," said Higa.

Signature's GPS system has enabled the company to compile
the final route Nguyen was on before he was killed. That system
shows when Nguyen started his meter for the final time and
where the cab stopped.

That information may be vital to investigators as they piece
together the events that led to the shootings.

The company believed its tracking and emergency alert systems
were sufficient protection for its drivers.  However, the latest
incident has it reconsidering its position.

"We've considered installing possible other safety measures in
the vehicle," Higa said. "For example, handicams where they
have cameras in the cars as well as glass partitions or plastic
partitions."

Regardless, some say driving a taxi is a dangerous profession.
The company says its drivers service between 5,000 and 6,000
customers per day.

Driving thousands of strangers each day to locations all around
the island is not something many people are willing to do. But as
Son pointed out, "We have to make a living."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Honolulu Advertiser
(Honolulu, Hawaii)
July 8, 2006

Cab drivers fear dangers of Round Top area

A cellular phone call, then death

By Johnny Brannon and Treena Shapiro
Advertiser Staff Writers

Taxi drivers don't like to take passengers to the Round Top Drive
area where three people were shot to death Thursday night, but
city law forbids them to refuse service to any specific destination.

"It's a dangerous area, because people go there to smoke
marijuana and get high, and do other drugs and things," said
Cuong Nguyen, an independent taxi driver and longtime friend of
taxi driver Manh Nguyen, one of the victims killed on Round Top
Drive. "Tourists like to go up there to see the city lights, and if
they want to go, I have no choice."

Lookouts along Round Top offer panoramic views of the
Honolulu skyline, Diamond Head and Manoa Valley, and the
winding street is sometimes frequented by couples seeking
privacy and romantic scenery. But the area also attracts rowdy
groups that party late at night and leave behind beer cans,
broken glass and other trash.

Cuong Nguyen said he and most other drivers don't like to drive
there at night to drop off customers who live in the area because
the drivers must then drive back down Tantalus Mountain alone.

Taxi drivers can refuse to pick up passengers who are
"disorderly," but must take all others to the destination of their
choice, by the most direct route available. The law ensures that
customers and neighborhoods are not discriminated against, and
that drivers do not inflate fares by taking extra-long routes.

"I believe the legislative intent might have been that the city
can't have taxicab drivers picking and choosing their routes or
fares because then some people or areas would be underserved
while others, perhaps thought to be more lucrative, would be
over-supplied," said city spokesman Bill Brennan.

But Nguyen said drivers are sometimes forced to go to
dangerous locations where they fear being robbed or hassled.

"It can be very scary," said Nguyen, who has driven taxis here
for 15 years. "These are the problems the drivers have to cope
with."

Dale Evans, president of Charley's Taxi, said she has spent
decades lobbying the City Council to change the law so that
drivers could refuse service to problem areas. She said she last
proposed such changes two years ago, but that council members
never drafted them into a bill or voted on them.

Taking tourists up to Tantalus lookouts is a particular concern,
Evans said.

"We don't want to go up there, except to residences," she said.
"The drivers who work at night are pretty concerned."

Council chairman Donovan Dela Cruz said changes to the law
might be warranted, but that it was important to consider the
potential impact.

"I think the council would be open to working with the taxi
industry to ensure public safety, but we would want to make sure
we balance the needs of the entire community," Dela Cruz said.

Even without violent crime, Tantalus can be dangerous for
drivers, Evans said, noting that Round Top Drive is popular for
illegal street-racing and was hit with severe flooding this year.

"It's just a bad road, very (winding) and it's dangerous," she said.
"The roads are very dimly lit, if there are street lights at all, and
the roads are narrow, so running away or trying to get away (is
difficult)," she said.

While Charley's has been actively discouraging passengers from
heading to Tantalus, the lookouts are still often visited by taxis
and limousines, Evans said.

"Legally, the driver is unable to refuse the customer's direction,
but that doesn't mean we can't try," she said. "It just seems to be
a very bad idea to take people up there."

Taxi drivers have few options once they've accepted a fare,
Evans said.

"In real life, if the customer doesn't look very good, they'll just
pass them by," she said. "Once they get into the car, that's
another matter."

RECENT CRIMES AGAINST TAXI DRIVERS

# March 2005: A 39-year-old taxi driver was stabbed in the chest
by one of four men who refused to pay their fare in 'Ewa Beach.

# September 2004: Police searched for two suspects in the
robberies of three taxi drivers in the Waikiki area.

# August 2004: A taxi driver, 50, was robbed at knifepoint after
picking up four men in Waikiki.

# February 2002: A 38-year-old woman was charged with
attempted murder after stabbing a taxi driver in the back in
Makiki.

# November 2001: A gunman robbed a taxi driver and stole his
car after being taken to a remote area on Round Top Drive.

# September 1999: A 41-year-old taxi driver was found shot to
death in his cab at Kailua Beach Park.

# December 1996: A Makiki woman was charged with attempted
murder on suspicion of stabbing a taxi driver in the back.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

KHON-TV Channel 2
(Honolulu, Hawaii)
July 9, 2006

Triple homicide suspect faces 18 charges

Marisa Yamane

The man suspected in last Thursday night's triple murder and
home invasion will make his first appearance in District Court
Monday morning on 18 charges.

Adam Mau-Goffredo is being held at the Honolulu Police
cellblock on $25M bail.

Criminal defense lawyer Brook Hart is representing Mau-
Goffredo.

Hart says his client has been diagnosed with a severe mental
illness, and that'll likely play a big role in the case.

Adam Mau-Goffredo faces 18 charges, including first and second
degree murder, robbery, burglary, kidnapping, theft, and firearms
violations.

Police believe Mau-Goffredo shot a taxi driver he tried to rob
and a couple who was taking pictures at Tantalus last Thursday
night.

Police say he then drove the taxi to a nearby home, where he
tied up three people, threatened to kill them, and stole their car.

Paul Cunney is a former prosecutor and longtime defense
attorney.

"I don't think the prosecution will have much of a problem with
this case," said Cunney.

If Mau-Goffredo is convicted of first-degree murder, he'll spend
life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Bail is set at $25M.

"I think the bail was so high because there was just a fear he
comes from an influential family," said Cunney.

The 23-year old is part of Honolulu's wealthy Mau family, with
substantial business and real estate holdings.

Prominent criminal defense attorney Brook Hart is representing
Mau-Goffredo.

When asked about an insanity defense, Hart told KHON2 News:
"Since he (Mau-Goffredo) has documented paranoid
schizophrenia, that'll probably play a role in the case."

Hart says Mau-Goffredo was diagnosed with the mental illness
when he was 18 years old.

Hart says: "With severe mental illnesses, it's difficult to predict
what will happen in any situation, and this one turned into a great
tragedy."

After Mau-Goffredo is indicted, the court will appoint a panel of
three doctors to see if he's fit to stand trial.

If not he'll be sent to the state hospital.

"They'll get into the question of dangerousness and into the big
question of whether his cognitive capacity was impaired, if he
was able to distinguish right from wrong," said Cunney.

Cunney says even if the panel of doctors finds Mau-Goffredo fit
to stand trial, the jury could also still acquit him by reason of
insanity.

Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Peter Carlisle declined to
comment on Sunday about the case.

Meanwhile, Hart says his client's family has huge regret and
remorse about what happened, and their hearts go out to the
victims' families.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Honolulu Advertiser
(Honolulu, Hawaii)
July 18, 2006

Tearful goodbye for Manh Nguyen

By Peter Boylan
Advertiser Staff Writer

His family kneeling before his casket with bowed heads, 
surrounded by swirling wisps of incense and backed by the 
solemn chants of a Buddhist monk, slain taxi driver Manh 
Nguyen was remembered yesterday for his jovial nature, love of 
family and dedication to his profession.

"The guy made me laugh a lot and he always had something 
nice to say about people," said Douglas Withers, a 49-year-old 
taxi dispatcher at Honolulu International Airport, who knew 
Nguyen for the past eight years. "It's strange. It's always the 
good people that go first."

Nguyen was shot to death along with Jason and Colleen 
Takamori on July 6 at a Tantalus lookout in one of O'ahu's most 
violent crimes in recent years. Their accused killer is being held 
at the O'ahu Community Correctional Center without bail, 
indicted on first- and second-degree murder charges.

Yesterday, more than 400 friends, co-workers and family 
members attended an emotional Buddhist memorial service for 
Nguyen at Borthwick Mortuary. Gov. Linda Lingle was among 
those who attended the service and sat in the front row to the 
right of the kneeling family. Before leaving, she embraced the 
family and offered condolences.

The service was delivered almost entirely in Vietnamese. 
Buddhist monk Tri Hai lit incense and chanted for more than an 
hour before a wall-mounted, bronze statue of Buddha, his back 
to Nguyen's open casket.

As Hai chanted, Nguyen's wife, Cynthia Lai; his 17-year-old son, 
Victor; and his 13-year-old daughter, Christina, knelt before 
Nguyen's picture at the foot of the casket with heads bowed and 
hands clasped together.

Each wore long-sleeved white shirts and a white cloth tied 
around the forehead. Cynthia Lai and Christina sobbed 
throughout the prayers, their backs heaving with each sharp 
intake of breath.

"My dad was a good man, a good husband, and a good father to 
all of us," said Victor Nguyen, speaking during the service.

The purpose of the chants, Hai said later through a translator, 
was to show Nguyen's soul which way to go in the afterlife and to 
let him know that if he wants to come back, he has a choice.

'A REALLY DECENT MAN'

Inside the chapel, smoke spiraled off the tips of incense sticks 
near Nguyen's casket while row after row of black-clad mourners 
bowed and nodded reverently. Outside the ceremonial hall, 
scores of taxi drivers, many Vietnamese and all dressed in the 
white, short-sleeved shirts favored by cabbies, clustered in small 
groups occasionally looking in on the proceedings.

Keith Pham, a 47-year-old taxi driver, knew Nguyen for more 
than 15 years and played tennis with him and his family every 
Saturday.

The day before his death, the two spoke in the turnaround in 
front of the Moana Surfrider Hotel. Pham remembered Nguyen 
as a "very competitive" tennis player who had a great serve.

"This is very shocking. We talked quite often; that's what I miss 
most (the conversations). He's a really decent man," said Pham, 
leaning on a railing outside the ceremony. "He was a family man, 
he took good care of his family. He didn't go out much after 
work. He was always at home with his wife and kids. He will be 
missed for a long time."

Can Nguyen, 45, knew Manh Nguyen for more than 25 years and 
as a bachelor lived with Manh in a house with five others in the 
Philippines for six months. When Can Nguyen immigrated to the 
United States, Manh Nguyen, who is not related, caught the bus 
with him to the airport to say goodbye.

"It is hard, something like this shouldn't happen to good people. 
Why good people die and leave their family behind?" said Can 
Nguyen, who works at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. "In the 
Philippines, we lived in the same house with five guys. We had a 
good time."

Howard Higa, president and owner of The Cab, lauded Nguyen 
as one of the "greatest drivers" who had worked for the 
company, saying he was recognized as one of the most 
professional cabbies in the industry. Nguyen's jovial nature made 
him a workplace favorite, and the women who worked in the 
office always looked forward to seeing him, he said.

"He was known as 'The Manh' - of course that was his name. 
He was a very serious driver and a happy driver," Higa said 
during yesterday's service. "This is obviously a sad day for the 
company, its employees and the drivers, and we send our 
deepest, heartfelt sympathy to Manh Nguyen's wife, his son and 
his daughter."

Ngoc Nguyen, president of the Vietnamese Community of 
Hawai'i, addressed the crowd and the Nguyen family, saying 
Manh Nguyen was known and respected by his countrymen in 
Honolulu.

"The Vietnamese community in Hawai'i was very, very shocked 
when we heard Mr. Nguyen died at work," he said. "We wish 
Manh Nguyen will soon be with the Buddha. We are sorry for the 
loss of our good countryman, a good husband and a good 
father."

FINAL RESPECTS

After the ceremony, well-wishers lined up to offer burning sticks 
of incense with their final respects.

One by one they embraced Nguyen's wife and two children, who 
sat to the left of the open casket. Nguyen's family comforted 
some who broke down in tears as they filed past the casket. 
Others held the family up as emotion overtook them.

After the service, the family's attorney, Richard T. Pafundi, 
spoke on behalf of Nguyen's wife and children and thanked all 
who offered condolences and well wishes. Pafundi said there will 
be "many more" developments in the civil and criminal case 
surrounding Nguyen's death but said yesterday was neither the 
time nor the place to discuss such matters.

"When you are a good man, that's what happens," he said, 
acknowledging the large crowd. "People come out to express 
their love. The family is very grateful."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Honolulu Advertiser
(Honolulu Hawaii)
July 20, 2006

Event will aid family of cabbie

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

Island entertainers and the business community are rallying with 
kokua to help the family of cab driver Mahn Ngyuen, who was 
slain at the Tantalus lookout on July 6.

The benefit event, from 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday at Pipeline Cafe, 
will include entertainment by Hot Rain, Natural Soul, Lalea, All 
Natro, Pegasis, Tony Gamble and B.E.T. More are expected by 
showtime.

The business community has responded with a variety of gifts, 
certificates, merchandise and services, according to organizer 
Jed Roa of Pipeline.

A $10 donation per person is suggested, payable at the door. All 
ages are welcome.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Honolulu Star-Bulletin
(Honolulu, Hawaii)
June 28, 2007

Murder defendant deemed mentally fit

Adam Mau-Goffredo is trying to use the insanity defense

By Debra Barayuga

A court-appointed panel says Adam Mau-Goffredo suffers from 
paranoid schizophrenia, but that he is currently fit to go to trial on 
charges stemming from a triple slaying on Tantalus a year ago.

The 24-year-old Mau-Goffredo maintains he was mentally ill at 
the time of the attacks and should be found not guilty by reason 
of insanity.

It will be up to a jury or a judge to decide. But first, Circuit Judge 
Dexter Del Rosario must determine whether Mau-Goffredo is fit 
to go to trial on multiple charges, including first and second-
degree murder, first-degree robbery and burglary.

Prosecutors agree with the psychiatric findings, but attorneys for 
Mau-Goffredo told the court yesterday that they don't agree that 
he can fully assist in his defense and are contesting the panel's 
findings.

They are also requesting that Mau-Goffredo undergo a brain 
scan to determine whether he suffers from a physical defect or 
abnormality.

Mau-Goffredo is awaiting trial for the murder of taxicab driver 
Manh Nguyen, who drove him up to Tantalus on July 6, and 
Kapahulu couple Jason and Colleen Takamori, who happened to 
be taking pictures at the lookout that evening. Prosecutors said 
they were all shot "execution-style" in the head.

Mau-Goffredo also allegedly held up a Round Top couple and 
their housekeeper at gunpoint, bound them with tape and stole 
the couple's car.

As provided under the law, the defense yesterday began cross-
examining state psychologist Olaf Gitter, one of three mental 
health specialists appointed by Del Rosario to determine Mau-
Goffredo's fitness to go to trial.

Gitter testified yesterday that he found the defendant fit to 
proceed based on their June 6 interview and his review of 
mental health and corrections records.

Even Mau-Goffredo himself indicated he was "definitely" fit, and 
wanted to be found fit, he said.

"Mr. Mau maintained he was not mentally ill at the present, but 
mentally ill at the time of the alleged offenses," Gitter testified.

Mau-Goffredo said that if he was found not guilty by reason of 
insanity, he understood that he would be released, Gitter said.

During questioning by Cliff Hunt, one of Mau-Goffredo's 
attorneys, Gitter said Mau-Goffredo had a "long-term chronic 
problem" of refusing to shower over a period of three months.

From February to mid-May, Mau-Goffredo only showered when 
forced to or taken to the showers by guards, Gitter said. Mau-
Goffredo appeared clean and well-groomed when he appeared in 
court yesterday.

Hunt's questioning also suggested that Mau-Goffredo has been 
refusing to meet with his attorneys or to be examined by experts 
hired separately by the defense to determine his fitness.

Del Rosario is expected to set another hearing to give the 
defense an opportunity to question the two remaining doctors on 
the panel and any other experts needed to assist the court in 
deciding whether Mau-Goffredo is fit.

Mau-Goffredo has a documented psychiatric history and has 
received inpatient and outpatient treatment. He also takes 
medication but apparently had stopped taking it in the weeks 
before the killings.

As early as May 2002, Mau-Goffredo was treated at the Queen's 
Medical Center and diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia, 
with a history of marijuana and LSD use, according to Gitter's 
report.

The diagnosis was supported in 2003 and last January by Dr. 
Marvin Acklin, who said the illness was characterized by 
delusions.

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