The son of an elderly Canadian woman who was brutally stabbed to death Sunday in a Waikiki apartment had for years tried to persuade his mother to leave her abusive husband, a family spokeswoman said yesterday.

Ingeborg Jandura, 82, was found stabbed to death in a time-share apartment at the Ilikai Waikiki Hotel. The medical examiner said she had been stabbed at least 100 times.

Jandura's husband, Tadeusz "Ted" Jandura, 83, is charged with second-degree murder and is being held without bail.

The couple had been married for 58 years and vacationed in Hawai'i every winter for many years. But the Janduras had been separated at the time of her death and it was not known why the two were in Hawai'i.

Ingeborg Jandura had accused her husband of being abusive, according to Canadian court documents.

Al Jandura, 48, arrived in Hawai'i this week to arrange for his mother's body to be returned to Canada. He said through a family spokeswoman that his mother has had to deal with the abuse for years.

"Al had tried over the years to get his mom to leave his dad, and despite the fact that he abused her, she did not leave the relationship," said Jessica Lani Rich, president of the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawai'i.

Rich said the Jandura family is "having a difficult time dealing with" Ingeborg Jandura's death, but is "getting through it."

"The good news is that when talking with Al, he took a lot after his mom and he is a very thoughtful and considerate person and he's doing all he can to get through this," Rich said.

But while in Hawai'i, Rich said, Al Jandura has no plans to visit his father.

"Al has no desire to see his father," Rich said. "It's pretty obvious, isn't it? ... He was very close to his mother."

Court documents show that Ted Jandura told police who were sent to the Ilikai Sunday that he had killed his wife.

In a written statement, the couple's daughter described Ingeborg Jandura as a "devoted mother and grandmother" who loved her family and friends.

"Although her life was difficult, she made a tremendous effort to maintain a positive and hopeful attitude," said the daughter, identified only as "Suzanne" by Rich. "Her tragic death has devastated our family."

"At the age of 82, she was extremely healthy and loved to travel, especially to Hawai'i," added Suzanne, who is not in Hawai'i.

The statement made no mention of Ted Jandura.

The Janduras were from Edmonton, Alberta, where court records show the couple had marital trouble for years. Ingeborg Jandura filed for divorce after separating from her husband in the summer of 2003, saying he was "verbally abusive" and "impossible to live with," according to Canadian court documents.

In June 2005, the couple attempted to reconcile, but Ingeborg Jandura said she realized after a trip to Europe that her husband had not changed, the documents said. Ingeborg Jandura said her husband accused her of "running around with other men" and would shout at her and then apologize.

Al Jandura told Rich that his mother was seeking a divorce from her husband, and that he did not know why they were together in Hawai'i.

Reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com.