A man accused in the Tantalus triple slayings abused alcohol and crystal methamphetamine, threatened to kill his mother and sisters and believed the government was trying to kill him, according to an application for a restraining order filed by his mother in 2002.

Lynnette L.L. Mau asked for the temporary restraining order on behalf of herself and her three daughters, claiming her son — Adam Mau-Goffredo — threatened to harm and kill the four of them, according to the application that was filed in Circuit Court on O'ahu.

She wrote that her son believed the government and his friends were trying to kill him because he's "too brilliant," and that he spent $700 on military training and owned six pellet pistols and pellet rifles and several knives.

"Adam needs protection and help and treatment for everyone's safety and protection including his own, (the) public, (and his) family," his mother wrote in the application. "Adam is chemically imbalanced from overuse of drugs, alcohol, ice, LSD. He is schizophrenic, and believes others are making him do these things. He is not in control of himself."

The TRO, which prohibited Mau-Goffredo from coming within 100 yards of his mother and possessing a firearm, was signed into effect on May 14, 2002, by Judge Robert Mark Browning and expired on Aug. 12, 2002.

According to the court records, the three-month restraining order was initially granted, but police were not able to serve Mau-Goffredo with the order.

Lynnette Mau failed to appear at a May 20, 2002, court hearing on the restraining order application and the case was dismissed.

Lynnette Mau was in O'ahu District Court yesterday morning for her son's initial appearance on charges related to the slaying of a taxi driver and a local couple at the scenic Tantalus lookout on Round Top Drive Thursday night. She declined to comment on the case. Her attorney, Howard Luke, did not return a message left with his office seeking comment.

During yesterday's hearing, Mau-Goffredo's attorney, Brook Hart, said the Mau family extended its "heartfelt condolences" to the victims, saying the Maus "feel for the families impacted by Adam's behavior."

"What is of immediate concern is that Adam gets the treatment and assessment his situation requires. He has a documented history of paranoid schizophrenia, and I'm sure that will play a prominent role in the case," Hart said.

Hart last night said he expects at some point to bring in a psychiatrist to evaluate Mau-Goffredo.

"We've got to try to get a clear picture of his mental status," Hart said.

Mau-Goffredo, 23, is charged in the shooting deaths of taxi driver Manh Nguyen and Jason Takamori and his wife, Colleen.

In addition to four charges related to the triple homicide, Mau-Goffredo is accused of separate first-degree counts of robbery and burglary, three counts of kidnapping, and one count of theft stemming from robbing Nguyen and a home invasion at a residence in the 3700 block of Round Top Drive that followed the shootings.

PISTOL RECOVERED

Homicide Detective Ted Coons, who is handling the case, declined to comment yesterday, citing an ongoing criminal investigation.

After his arrest, investigators recovered a .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol from Mau-Goffredo, police said. Police said it is the same pistol that was reported stolen from the home of Mau-Goffredo's court-appointed caregiver, William Roy Carroll Jr.

Carroll filed a burglary report last week alleging someone broke into his home and took the pistol, police said. Carroll did not return a message left on his cell phone seeking comment yesterday.

Honolulu police Capt. Frank Fujii said officers are working to determine whether the gun is the same one used in Thursday's shooting.

Previously, police recovered a .45-caliber ammunition clip from the home where the alleged robbery took place.

FROM CALM TO ANGER

In the application for the 2002 restraining order, Lynette Mau wrote that Mau-Goffredo would move from moments of calm to extreme anger without provocation and that he is "on drugs and drinks excessively alcohol/wine." In addition to threatening to kill his family, he threatened to kill police and broke into his mother's home several times, the court record shows.

Mau-Goffredo allegedly pushed, grabbed, shoved, slapped, punched and hit his mother starting in September 2001 until March 2002, when the application was submitted to the court.

He repeatedly threatened to kill his mother and "punched many holes in walls, threw a soda can through my window while I was standing there, broke his door into splinters and smashed his glass bathroom door," according to court documents.

Mau-Goffredo did not enter a plea on homicide and robbery charges yesterday during his court appearance, when he stood barefoot and wearing a white, prison-issue jump suit. He did not speak during the proceedings.

He is being held in lieu of $25 million bail at the O'ahu Community Correctional Facility.

Hart, his lawyer, argued the $25 million bail is "highly excessive" and said he would address the issue at an "appropriate time." Hart also asked, and was granted, permission to have Mau-Goffredo's doctor visit him at OCCC.

A preliminary court hearing has been set for 1:30 p.m. tomorrow, although Hart said he believes his client will be indicted by an O'ahu grand jury before then. An indictment would lead to the cancellation of tomorrow's hearing.

The city prosecutor's office has not decided who will prosecute the case.

Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.