Jury acquits Hilo repairman in stabbing

By Hugh Clark
Advertiser Big Island Bureau

HILO, Hawai'i — A Big Island jury yesterday acquitted a Hilo repairman charged with attempted murder after finding he was emotionally disturbed when he stabbed a co-worker five times.

Judge Greg Nakamura ordered that Drew Shintani, 35, be taken into custody and transferred to Honolulu for a mental evaluation at the Hawai'i State Hospital. The defendant had been free on bail during the 19 months leading up to his trial.

Deputy Public Defender Michael Ebesugawa had argued that Shintani had snapped under persistent teasing from Jeffrey Toci, 30, during the Oct. 4, 1999, attack at the Hilo Sears Service Center on Pohaku Street.

Calling on expert witnesses who testified that Shintani was distraught at the time of the stabbing, Ebesugawa said the defendant was "freaking out" during "an out-of-body experience."

Testimony during the four-week trial revealed that Shintani had a recurring problem with flatulence and he blamed Toci. Ebesugawa said Shintani only wanted to be left alone but Toci continued to taunt him.

Deputy Prosecutor Michael Kagami said it is clear Shintani wanted to kill Toci.

He asked the jury to disregard the defense claim that Shintani only sought to embarrass the man by stabbing him twice in the buttocks and three times in the back with a 5-inch knife.

Jurors deliberated less than a day before reaching a verdict yesterday.

Nakamura scheduled a June 8 hearing on the outcome of the state's mental evaluation to determine whether Shintani remains a danger to the community. At that time, he could be released or sent back to the State Hospital for treatment.