HILO — A 30-year-old man accused of stabbing three people more than two years ago in Hilo will get a third round of mental examinations.
Varaha Mims is charged with attempted first-degree murder, three counts of attempted second-degree murder, property damage and marijuana possession. He’s accused of a midnight rampage May 23, 2014, and is alleged to have stabbed Skylar Nelson, then 28, and Sarah Steinbrecher, then 27, outside Hilo Town Tavern. He allegedly then fled on foot to Wainaku and stabbed his former landlord, Raghunatha John Giuffre, then 49.
Nelson and Giuffre were hospitalized with critical injuries but have since recovered. Steinbrecher was treated for her wounds and released.
In April 2015, Hilo Circuit Judge Glenn Hara found Mims unfit to stand trial based on the reports of three mental health professionals following a series of hearings over several months.
Mims was committed to Hawaii State Hospital on Oahu, and another round of examinations were later ordered. The second time, all three examiners — psychologists Dr. Marvin Acklin and Dr. Alex Lichton, and psychiatrist Dr. Leonard Jacobs — found Mims fit to proceed.
Keith Shigetomi, Mims’ court-appointed attorney, requested the third set of examinations.
“Since the … previous examinations, I’ve received medical records from Mr. Mims’ history which indicates a long history of mental illness and, the court recalls, one of the things that the doctors were perplexed about was whether or not Mr. Mims has a prior mental health history,” Shigetomi told the judge at a Tuesday hearing. “So, I believe that in order to have a more accurate (finding), we’re asking for a new round of examinations, and we’ll provide the examiners with Mr. Mims’ health records, as well as the prosecution.”
Deputy Prosecutor Joseph Lee told Hara the state is “not happy” with the delays and noted the issue of Mims’ fitness has been before the court “well over a year.”
“This will be the third evaluations … done,” Lee noted. “However, that being said … (it’s) very clear the state has no choice but to have no opposition to this motion.”
The same examiners will be given the records recently received from California and again weigh in on whether Mims is fit for trial. Their reports are due Aug. 11 and a hearing is scheduled for 8 a.m. Aug. 18.
Mims is scheduled to start trial Sept. 6, but it’s unclear whether his trial will start then. He’s being held without bail at Hawaii Community Correctional Center.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
