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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, March 25, 2010

Woman indicted in stabbing death of elderly mother


Advertiser Staff

A woman indicted for murder this morning in the stabbing death of her 88-year-old mother has a "20-year history of mental illness and is out of touch with reality," according to her defense attorney.

Claudia Warner-Gonzales, 61, was indicted on a charge of second-degree murder and is being held at at the Oahu Community Correctional Center in lieu of $500,000 bail.
Warner-Gonzales allegedly admitted to police that she had killed her mother, Dorothy Stribling, at Stribling's Nuuanu home Monday morning.
"I stabbed my mom. Forgive me, I stabbed her," Warner-Gonzales told officers, according to court documents.
Defense lawyer Samuel King Jr. said he expected the indictment by the Oahu grand jury and will ask the court to appoint a three-member panel of mental health experts to determine her fitness to stand trial.
King waived Warner-Gonzales' initial appearance in District Court yesterday, saying she wouldn't understand the legal proceedings.
"I've been monitoring her care at OCCC. They have a good medical unit there," King said.
Stribling's son, Sam Warner, who was in the Nuuanu home when Stribling was attacked, told police he heard a scream and found his sister standing over the victim. He said he removed a 9-inch knife that was lodged in their mother's left shoulder and placed it in the kitchen sink, a police affidavit said.
Stribling died at The Queen's Medical Center.
According to an autopsy report from the city Medical Examiner, Stribling bled to death from a stab wound to the chest.