A 58-year-old Pahoa man accused of shooting his wife and two children to death almost nine years ago has been found fit to stand trial.
Stanton Oshiro, court-appointed attorney for John Ali Hoffman, stipulated Friday to his client’s fitness after the most recent of several rounds of mental examinations. Oshiro last year was granted by Hilo Circuit Judge Henry Nakamoto the use of a private investigator, at taxpayer’s expense, to research the history of mental health in Hoffman’s family.
Two of the three doctors contracted reportedly found Hoffman fit and penally responsible — meaning he understood the illegality of his actions at the time of the offense. The third doctor reportedly found Hoffman unfit to stand trial and didn’t opine on penal responsibility.
Hoffman is facing a first-degree murder charge and three counts of second-degree murder for the fatal shootings of his 40-year-old wife, Aracely Hoffman, and their children, 10-year-old Clara Hoffman and 7-year-old John “Junior” Hoffman, in the family’s Leilani Estates home.
Aracely Urruela, originally from El Salvador, came to Hawaii 10 years prior to meeting, marrying and having children with Hoffman. She worked cleaning other people’s homes.
Hoffman originally was found fit to stand trial in February 2017 but has gone through multiple rounds of fitness proceedings since after engaging in bizarre courtroom behavior.
He accused at least one judge, now retired, of bias against him and demanded unsuccessfully that the judge recuse himself from the case.
On Aug. 14, 2017, Hoffman said in open court the same judge and another judge, who’s also since retired, and a private attorney “have slaved me and my family for the benefit of another man.”
Hoffman also is charged with second-degree assault for an alleged November 2017 jailhouse attack on a Hawaii Community Correctional Center guard, identified in court documents as Bryson Crivello. That case remains open in Hilo Circuit Court.
Nakamoto on Friday ordered, at Oshiro’s request, that the reports from doctors in Hoffman’s case be sealed, without objection by Deputy Prosecutor Kevin Hashizaki.
The judge found that Hoffman’s “constitutional right to privacy outweighs the public’s presumptive right for access” to those records.
Officers responding to a call about a disturbance at the Hoffmans’ Moku Street home in the early morning hours of May 6, 2016, reportedly stopped Hoffman for driving without headlights on as he was allegedly leaving the scene. Police say a handgun was in the car, within Hoffman’s reach.
Officers also opened the trunk after allegedly seeing blood dripping from it and found the body of Aracely Hoffman. The children’s bodies were found in the house.
Hoffman also is charged with use of a firearm in the commission of a separate felony and illegally carrying a handgun.
Nakamoto didn’t schedule a trial date for Hoffman, but set a hearing on May 29 for “further proceedings.”
Hoffman faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without parole if convicted of first-degree murder, a charge that was filed because of multiple victims. The second-degree murder charges all carry a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment with the possibility of parole.
Use of a firearm in the commission of a separate felony is a Class A felony with a potential 20-year prison term, while the other firearms charge is a Class B felony with a possible 10-year prison sentence.
The second-degree assault charge for the alleged attack on the guard is a Class C felony with a potential five-year prison term.
Hoffman remains in custody at HCCC in lieu of an aggregate $2.085 million bail.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
