Posted on: Saturday, April 28, 2001

Pupukea man not guilty of murder

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

A man accused of the 1994 murder of his neighbor in Pupukea was acquitted yesterday by reason of insanity by a Circuit Court judge.

But Circuit Judge Michael Town ordered William J. Eberwein to be committed to the Hawai'i State Hospital until Eberwein is determined fit to be released. Eberwein had been housed at the hospital since the 1994 incident.

Eberwein was charged with second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder and second-degree terroristic threatening in connection with the Nov. 13, 1994, stabbing death of Daniel Camplin, 36.

Camplin was stabbed through the heart as he attempted to break up an argument between Eberwein and two men at Eberwein's Amaumau Place home.

Eberwein also was charged with stabbing the two men.

In 1996, a judge declared Eberwein unfit to stand trial and confined him to the State Hospital, but in August last year, Town found him fit for trial.

Richard Hoke, Eberwein's attorney, argued that his client suffered from a mental disorder and paranoia. In his mind, Eberwein felt justified to defend himself after the two men entered his home without permission, Hoke said.

City Deputy Prosecutor Jeff Albert argued that Eberwein earlier had threatened to kill Camplin. Eberwein also said he was glad he killed Camplin, said Albert.

Town ruled that Eberwein suffered from either a fixed delusional disorder or paranoid personality at the time of the incident.