‘I killed the doc with my hands!’

Dr. Francois Claasens is the person who was allegedly stabbed in the neck by a 36-year-old man with a fishing spear on Rota over the weekend and is now fighting for his life.

Claasens, 60, the only physician assigned at Rota Commonwealth Health Center, has only 20 percent chance of survival, according to assistant attorney general Shannon Foley yesterday.

Claasens is currently being treated at the Guam Naval Hospital. He remained unconscious and on life support, police said yesterday.

The victim’s injuries include puncture wounds to the backside of the neck and right side of mouth. He sustained numerous deep lacerations and contusions to the head, and his right ear was bleeding. He suffered broken legs and arms and a skull fracture.

William Abraham Kapono Mathewson emerges from the courtroom escorted by Corrections officers and court marshals after a bail hearing yesterday in the Superior Court. A $250,000 cash bail was imposed on Mathewson for attempted murder and other charges over the stabbing of Dr. Francois Claasens with a fishing spear in Rota. (Ferdie de la Torre)

At yesterday’s hearing, Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho imposed a $250,000 cash bail on William Abraham Kapono Mathewson, who was arrested for attempted murder, aggravated assault, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery, and disturbing the peace.

The court initially imposed “no bail” on Mathewson, who is a fisherman/farmer.

Preliminary hearing will be on April 14 at 1:30pm. Arraignment will be on April 20 at 9am.

Assistant public defender Michael Sato was appointed as counsel for Mathewson.

Assistant attorney general Shannon Foley recommended the court to keep the “no bail,” considering the seriousness of the charges that include attempted murder.

At the hearing, Mathewson disclosed he has three children, but is a single parent. He said all his family members are in Hawaii.

Police detective Shaw Clay DLC. Taisacan stated in his report that on Saturday at 7:30am, Department of Public Safety Rota Central received a 911 call from Claasens’ minor son, who reported that his father and “Pono,” who was later identified as Mathewson, were fighting.

When a police officer arrived at the doctor’s house in Teneto Village, he noticed Mathewson, who was without a shirt, sitting on a chair.

The officer observed the victim, who also had no shirt lying face down, with a lot of blood on his head.

The officer noticed a thin rod protruding from the victim’s mouth as he lay on the ground.

The officer later recognized the victim as Claasens.

Mathewson allegedly shouted at the officer that, “I did it! I killed the doc with my hands.”

The officer noticed Mathewson’s hands had blood and his breath smelled a strong odor of alcohol.

The suspect told the officer twice that he wants to watch the doctor die and that’s what he gets for destroying his family.

Police then arrested Mathewson.

At DPS Central during processing, a police officer recovered a folding knife on the right side of his pants.

While inside the cell, Mathewson kept yelling and punching the wall, kicking the door, damaging the metal shelf.

Emergency Medical Services were summoned to the scene and transported the doctor to Rota CHC for further treatment.

Later on the same day, a police detective interviewed the doctor’s minor son, who revealed that Mathewson came to the house to visit his father.

Mathewson and Claasens were talking at the back of the house. As the son made coffee for them and was to bring to the back, his father told him to call 911.

The child observed his father with a bloody face. He immediately ran into the house and called 911.

The child then walked up toward the house’s balcony facing where the two were at and saw the suspect punching his father on the head.

The child said Mathewson also hit his father on the head with a rock and a chain.

The boy saw Mathewson pushed a spear into his father by the neck then sat on a chair until the police arrived.

After stabbing Claasens with a fishing spear in the neck area, Mathewson allegedly continued whacking him with a chain and a big black pot on the head.

At a press briefing yesterday, DPS Commissioner James C. Deleon Guerrero said DPS Saipan and Rota police, along with the Office of the Attorney General, are working together in the investigation in the case.

Deleon Guerrero said he will be sending some detectives to assist Rota investigators in this case.

DPS acting spokesman Jason Tarkong said surgeons in Guam were able to remove the spear from the victim.

Tarkong said injuries to the victim as the result of the assault left the victim in serious condition.

Sources said Claasens is well loved by people on Rota and that he is known as a good fisherman who shared his catch to the people for free.