LIHUE, Kauai — A Hawaii man charged with stabbing to death his mother while she was working at a bank on Kauai last month has pleaded not guilty.
LIHUE, Kauai — A Hawaii man charged with stabbing to death his mother while she was working at a bank on Kauai last month has pleaded not guilty.
Louis Landsman has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of Charlene Landsman, 69.
The 34-year-old appeared in a Lihue courtroom Thursday but was taken back to a holding cell following an outburst when his request to speak was denied.
“Why, why, why is this happening, why,” Landsman yelled during the hearing.
The court excluded Landsman from the rest of the hearing following the disruption.
Defense Attorney Melinda Mendes requested that her client undergo an examination to determine his capacity and fitness for the legal proceedings.
Prosecutor Justin Kollar told the court the state had no objection to the examination. Chief Judge Randall Valencian approved the request.
A hearing on the examination results is scheduled for late August.
Landsman was arrested after stabbing his mother while she was working at First Hawaiian Bank in Lihue on May 17, authorities said. On the day of the attack, Landsman had visited the bank three times, according to witness testimony at his preliminary hearing.
After the first visit, Charlene Landsman had told co-workers to call police if her son came back, a witness told the court. Charlene Landsman had canceled the call request when he returned. The stabbing occurred on the third visit.
