Family Mourns Loss of Hawaii Mental Patient Sent to Mainland Facility

Second death tied to Columbia Regional Care Center in South Carolina raises concerns over state's handling of mental health cases

Feb. 3, 2026 at 11:07pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The family of Payton Hough, a Kauai man with severe mental illness, is grieving after he died by suicide in 2024 while being held at the Columbia Regional Care Center in South Carolina. Hough had been transferred there by the Hawaii Department of Health without his family's knowledge or consent. His family says they were denied access to visit him and were only offered one plane ticket to collect his ashes. This is the second death linked to the mainland facility, which the state has contracted to house its most violent mental health patients.

Why it matters

This tragic case highlights ongoing issues with Hawaii's mental health system and the state's practice of sending patients to mainland facilities without proper oversight or communication with families. It raises questions about the quality of care provided at these out-of-state institutions and the lack of transparency and accountability around the state's mental health policies and practices.

The details

Payton Hough, known as Makana, grew up in Hanalei, Kauai and was described as caring and compassionate. His family believes his mental illness began after a traumatic incident in his 20s when a man confronted him with a gun and machete. Hough was later arrested, acquitted due to mental illness, and committed to the state hospital in Kaneohe. After some improvement, he was transferred to a facility on Oahu where he was involved in an altercation that led to another man's death. Hough was then sent to the Columbia Regional Care Center in South Carolina without his family's knowledge. His family says they were denied access to visit him, and he died by suicide in 2024 while supposedly under 30-minute suicide watch.

  • Hough was sent to the Columbia Regional Care Center in South Carolina sometime in 2024.
  • Hough died by suicide two days before Thanksgiving 2024.

The players

Payton Hough

A Kauai man with severe mental illness who died by suicide in 2024 while being held at the Columbia Regional Care Center in South Carolina, a facility contracted by the Hawaii Department of Health.

Tanisha Baker

Payton Hough's sister.

Payton Hough Sr.

Payton Hough's father.

Gregory Poole

A Kauai pastor with prison ministry experience who was denied access to visit Payton Hough at the Columbia Regional Care Center.

Hawaii Department of Health

The state agency that contracted the Columbia Regional Care Center in South Carolina to house some of Hawaii's most violent mental health patients.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We were devastated. Our whole world fell apart. Our worst nightmare, the thing we've been trying to prevent from happening happened.”

— Tanisha Baker, Payton Hough's sister

“While on watch, on suicide watch, he was supposed to be watched every 30 minutes, and he wasn't.”

— Payton Hough Sr., Payton Hough's father

“It could have been different. If we could just tell him, 'Hey, we're thinking about you. We're praying for you. We're gonna come visit,'”

— Tanisha Baker, Payton Hough's sister

“It's tragic. There's just no other way to say it.”

— Gregory Poole, Kauai pastor

What’s next

The family plans to bring Payton Hough's ashes back to Hanalei Bay, where he had hoped to return, and hold a celebration of life ceremony to scatter his ashes.

The takeaway

This case highlights the urgent need for Hawaii to re-evaluate its mental health system and policies around transferring patients to out-of-state facilities. Greater transparency, oversight, and communication with families is required to prevent such tragedies and ensure vulnerable patients receive the care and support they need.