Man who claimed ice psychosis guilty of murder

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

A 45-year-old man was found guilty yesterday of second-degree murder in the stabbing death last year of Ruby Marie Mabanag.

A Circuit Court jury deliberated for about three hours before finding Samie Calaro guilty of killing Mabanag, 53, at their Wahiawa home July 28, 2002. Calaro faces a mandatory term of life in prison with the possibility of parole when he is sentenced by Circuit Judge Virginia Crandall Oct. 6.

The case was difficult for the defense because Deputy Public Defender Karen Nakasone never denied that Calaro killed his girlfriend. But Nakasone argued that her client was suffering from extreme mental and emotional disturbance on the day of his killing and should have been found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Nakasone argued during the two-week trial that Calaro suffered from psychosis as a result of long-time use of ice. But she said Calaro did not use ice on the day of the killing, nor did he use the drug in the days leading up to the offense.

Nakasone said Calaro did not know that prolonged use of ice would have such lasting effects. But he had displayed "bizarre behavior" in the weeks before the murder, she said.

"One thing that we all learned about ice from this case is the psychotic symptoms that come from ice use can last months or years after you stop using," Nakasone said. "There's no evidence to suggest that he was using at the time or shortly before. But the testimony came out clear that his psychotic symptoms on the day of the incident were from long-term ice use."

But Deputy Prosecutor Scott Bell argued Calaro's mental illness was the result of voluntary use of ice.

"There is no reasonable explanation for a person to be able to voluntarily use ice, make himself psychotic and use his ice-induced psychosis as a defense and say, 'I can't be held responsible for murder,' " Bell said.

Nakasone said she would appeal the verdict.

Several members of Mabanag's family were in the courtroom yesterday for the verdict. They left in tears and declined to comment.

Calaro was arrested at his Eames Street home after officers found him at a rear doorway of the house with a bleeding Mabanag in his arms. Before she was taken to a hospital, Mabanag told a police officer that she was stabbed by Calaro. Mabanag died of multiple stab wounds at Wahiawa General Hospital.

Reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8025.