CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A Kanawha County man has pleaded not guilty to murdering his parents in 2020 and will remain a patient at Sharpe Hospital in Weston for further evaluation of his mental health issues.
Takanao Kambara, 28, entered the plea of not guilty by reason of mental illness during a hearing Friday in Kanawha County Circuit Court.
Kambara was previously indicted in connection with the New Years Eve 2020 beating deaths of Tsukasa and Claudette Kambara. The couple was found in bed at their Loundendale home near Kanawha State Forest. Authorities said they died of lacerations.
The hearing was held before Greenbrier County Judge Jim Rowe who is filling in on a temporary basis for Kanawha County Circuit Judge Joanna Tabit.
Kambara was found competent to stand trial in Aug. 2022 after multiple evaluations and was most recently found not criminally responsible for the crime.
Kanawha County Assistant Prosecutor Jennifer Crane said Kambara suffers from schizophrenia and needs to be under the state’s supervision because he is a threat to the community.
“It’s quite clear from how many evaluations we had to do that if he’s not medicated and he is left to his own devices that he’s a very dangerous person,” Crane told MetroNews following the hearing.
Crane said Kambara has an extensive history of mental problems and incidents of violence against his parents who tried to seek help for him. She said Kambara has four siblings who worried about him potentially hurting others.
“They have a great fear that he would be released in the future or step down from a non-secure facility, so that’s why they want to be kept in the loop,” Crane said.
Kambara pleads NOT guilty to two counts of first degree murder. He was found competent to stand trial but not criminally responsible due to his diagnosis of schizophrenia so he will remain at Sharpe Hospital under the state’s supervision and will continue to be evaluated.
— Carrie Hodousek (@CarrieHodousek) August 25, 2023
Kambara’s case will not head to trial. Crane said there would’ve been a similar outcome if that happened.
“We could have impaneled a jury and put forth all of the evidence; however, given what we knew from the mental health evaluators, the jury would’ve returned a verdict of not guilty by reason of mental illness,” she said.
Sharpe Hospital operates under the direction of the state Department of Health and Human Resources. Kambara could remain there for the rest of his life depending on future evaluations and court decisions.
“Unless a doctor makes an opinion that he can be maintained in the community, but the court would ultimately have approval over that so that would return for further hearing in the future,” Crane said.