The mother of the man accused of a triple slaying at Tantalus this month was "devastated" when she heard about the killings, her lawyer said yesterday.

Lynnette L.L. Mau, mother of Adam Mau-Goffredo, has been reluctant to speak publicly and her lawyer, Howard Luke, said he is advising her not to comment.

But he said yesterday the mother feels "very, very sorry" for the families of the slaying victims and the people in a home invasion robbery the night of July 6.

"She was just devastated," Luke said.

Mau-Goffredo, 23, was indicted last week by the O'ahu grand jury on 18 felony charges that include first- and second-degree murder, armed robbery, kidnapping and theft of the gun that allegedly was used in the crimes.

He is accused of killing taxi driver Manh Nguyen and Jason and Colleen Takamori, a Kapahulu couple, in what city prosecutors said appeared to be an execution-style slaying with shots to the heads of each victim.

Mau-Goffredo is also accused of the home invasion robbery of three people at a Round Top Drive home later that night before he was arrested.

Mau, 57, daughter of Waikiki developer and businessman William K.H. Mau, and Palolo caretaker William R. Carroll Jr. were named co-guardians of Mau-Goffredo during Family Court proceedings last month.

Meanwhile, Health Department officials were investigating whether Carroll needed an adult residential care home license for providing care for a fee to an unrelated individual, according to department spokeswoman Janice Okubo.

But Okubo also said a court-appointed guardian may not be required to have such a license.

Okubo said the investigation was launched based on an anonymous call. "When we receive complaints or concerns, we always investigate," she said.

She said the investigation should be completed in about two or three weeks.

Keith Kiuchi, Carroll's lawyer, said he has been contacted by the Health Department, but said they have no other comment.

Part-time Family Court District Judge Darryl Choy ruled that Mau-Goffredo was "incapacitated" and approved the co-guardianship during a hearing June 14.

At a hearing on May 31, Carroll told the judge he has cared for mentally ill people in the past, according to the court transcript.

"I've been working with an agency called PDMI for the past 10 years and basically working with people with primary schizophrenia and bipolar and dual personalities," he said.

Sharon Fountain, president of PDMI, Physically Disabled Mentally Ill Care, has said Carroll worked for PDMI Care, left the company in 2003 and was hired by Mau to care for her son. Fountain said Carroll did part-time contract work for PDMI Care until April 2004 and worked with the company for a year and a half.

Previously, Carroll was a guard and recreational specialist with the Hawai'i Youth Correctional Facility, state officials said.

Kiuchi yesterday declined to comment on Carroll's testimony until he sees the transcript. He also said he advised his client not to comment.

During the hearing, Francis O'Brien, who represented Mau and Carroll in their request to be named guardians, told Choy that Mau-Goffredo is a "person of interest to the United States Secret Service." He said the Secret Service "periodically check in about him" because he had written a letter to President Bush.

O'Brien could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Mau-Goffredo's criminal defense lawyer, Brook Hart, said he had not seen the letter, but learned that there was a visit from members of the Secret Service to "ascertain Adam's involvement in that incident."

Hart said the Secret Service was "satisfied that Adam had a mental illness and decided not to take action at that time, and I haven't heard that there was or would be any action."

O'Brien also told the judge Mau-Goffredo had been served with the request to place him under the guardianship and Carroll was going to bring him to the hearing. Mau-Goffredo was living with Carroll, O'Brien said.

"Adam, being paranoid, took off this morning," O'Brien said.

O'Brien said Mau-Goffredo was at the Waikiki Business Plaza or shopping plaza.

Mau-Goffredo's grandfather William Mau was developer for the Waikiki Business Plaza.

O'Brien said he didn't think it would be "useful to try and gather him (Mau-Goffredo) up and bring him down."

He also said Mau-Goffredo was not taking his medication.

Choy said it was "essential" that Mau-Goffredo be placed under the guardianship, but wanted to hear from psychiatrist Richard Gibson who had been seeing Mau-Goffredo.

Another hearing was scheduled for June 14, at which time Gibson testified and acknowledged that Mau-Goffredo suffers a paranoid schizophrenic condition. Choy then approved the guardianship.

Mau-Goffredo, who is being held without bail, is scheduled to appear at Honolulu Circuit Court tomorrow to enter his plea to the felony charges. City prosecutors are also asking Circuit Judge Derrick Chan to continue holding Mau-Goffredo without bail.

Gibson has been subpoenaed to bring to the hearing his records related to Mau-Goffredo.

Reach Ken Kobayashi at kkobayashi@honoluluadvertiser.com.