A 23-year-old man under investigation in connection with a triple murder at Tantalus has been diagnosed as suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and a court placed him under the guardianship of his mother and a caretaker less than a month ago, court records show.

Adam Koon Wai Mau-Goffredo, grandson of prominent Waikiki developer and businessman William K. H. Mau, was described in a petition seeking the guardianship as "incapacitated."

The court records also show his mother, Lynette Mau, sought a domestic abuse complaint against her son in May 2002.

Family Court approved the guardianship on June 14 at the request of his 57-year-old mother and his caretaker, William Roy Carroll Jr., 46, of Palolo.

"He was a nice kid growing up," said Lynette Mau, who declined further comment and forwarded all questions to her attorney, Frank O'Brien.

O'Brien declined comment.

As the basis for their request, Mau and Carroll submitted a letter from a doctor who examined Mau-Goffredo late last year or early this year.

"Such appointment is necessary because (Adam Mau-Goffredo) is unable to receive and evaluate information or make or communicate decisions to such an extent that he lacks the ability to meet essential requirements for physical health, safety or self care, even with appropriate and reasonably available technological assistance," the petition said.

The petition goes on to say that Mau-Goffredo had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.

"At times his illness interferes with his judgment and he must rely on his caretaker, Roy Carroll, and his mother to assist in making decisions for him," according to the petition.

The doctor's letter was not attached to the court file.

Lynette Mau listed her occupation as photographer, while Carroll said he was employed as a case manager for people with mental illness.

Mau-Goffredo was living at Carroll's home on 10th Avenue in Kaimuki at the time the petition was filed.

Carroll's two-story Palolo Valley home, set back from the street and protected by a black gate, appeared tranquil yesterday afternoon as the sun glinted off the leaves etched in the plate-glass windows of the yellow and green-trimmed house.

After indicating that Carroll was not home, family members asked to be left alone as they drove through the gate and locked it behind them.

Neighbors said they were familiar with Carroll, but had never met Mau-Goffredo and had no idea how long he had lived there.

The mother apparently had problems with her son in 2002. According to the court records, a three-month restraining order sought by the mother had been initially granted, but never served on her son. The mother failed to appear at a May 20, 2002, court hearing on the restraining order application and the case was dismissed.

Mau-Goffredo has two sisters, both adults, court records said. He attended Kalani High School before transferring to the Academy of the Pacific, according to a Kalani High School official.

According to the petition, Mau-Goffredo's mother divorced his father, Francis Anthony Goffredo, in 1988.

The father's lawyer, James Wright, said his client has had "no significant" involvement with his son since a "bitter divorce" 18 years ago.

Wright, who was answering questions on behalf of his client, said Goffredo was shocked and "sick at heart" when he learned of his son's arrest yesterday.

The mother was granted legal custody of Mau-Goffredo and Goffredo had not seen his son until about two years ago, then saw him only two or three times, Wright said.

At one time over the years, Goffredo had tried to visit his son, the lawyer said.

"It was a battle," Wright said. "He gave up."

The father was aware of the guardianship proceedings, but did not seek to participate and understood that the mother and Carroll had assumed legal responsibility for his son, Wright said.

Lynette Mau is one of William Mau's three children.

William Mau's rags-to-riches saga took him from his youth in a Waikiki shanty to becoming the businessman who purchased and developed the Waikiki Business Plaza.

He also built the Ambassador Hotel and owned the Aloha Motors site before selling it, the location of the Hawai'i Convention Center.

Reach Ken Kobayashi at kkobayashi@honoluluadvertiser.com and David Waite at dwaite@honoluluadvertiser.com.