HONOLULU -- According to those who work with the military, violent acts involving PTSD patients are a national trend and Hawaii is not immune.

Clayborne Conley,43, was a former Hawaii Army National Guardsman with the 29th Infantry Brigade.

Those who know him said he was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and had suffered a traumatic brain injury and also struggled with post traumatic stress disorder.

Conley had a criminal record, including assault and temporary restraining order violations in 2007.

According to Noe Foster, CEO of The Strategist, an advisory firm for military health projects,a TRO is usually the first sign something is very wrong.

"It's one of the telltale symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder caused because of service in combat," said Foster.

According to friends, Kristine Cass, 46, earlier this week talked about getting a temporary restraining order against Conley, who police said wanted to be more than just friends. Now Conley is accused of breaking into Cass's home in Makiki, shooting and killing Cass, her 13-year-old daughter and a neighbor's dog they were watching before turning the gun on himself on Friday.

Foster said more services are needed to help National Guard soldiers who have fewer resources than other military branches.

"The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are very different than wars in the past because 30 percent of the troops are National Guard and reserve soldiers who are at higher risk for mental health conditions like PTSD or other types of injuries, like traumatic brain injury," said Foster.

Conley was committed to the state mental hospital in April 2009, but was released in February. Right now, treatment is not mandated for PTSD patients, but Foster said that must change.

"We have to assume that war changes people. We need to assume that coming back with a traumatic brain injury or diagnosed with PTSD is very likely and look immediately for those tell tale signs and provide support services and counseling even if the symptoms are not full blown," said Foster.

The state legislature in this last session allocated funding to develop a special division of the Family Court just for the military to deal with the increasing number of domestic abuse cases involving soldiers back from war.

It would divert soldiers who are accused of certain crimes into treatment instead of sending them to jail.

Hawaii will be the first in the nation to implement this division called Veterans Court.