A prominent Samoan author and playwright has been accused of murdering the aunt of Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, according to multiple reports.
Papalii Sia Figiel, 57, was arrested Sunday following the death in Samoa of Caroline Sinaviana-Gabbard, 78, a retired former University of Hawaii professor.
The victim was stabbed several times and beaten with a hammer, local reports said, citing police. Samoa is a country located in the South Pacific Ocean.
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An award-winning author has been accused of murdering the aunt of Tulsi Gabbard, the former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, according to multiple reports. (Facebook, left, and Ethan Miller/Getty Images, right)
The deadly incident took place on May 25 at Figiel's home in the village of Vaivase-Uta, which is about three miles from the island nation's capital city, Apia. The Figiel property also doubles as a local theatre, the New Zealand Herald reports.
An argument had broken out between the couple before the incident turned violent, Samoa Police Commissioner Auapaau Logoitino Filipo said, according to the publication. It is unclear what sparked the argument.
The two women were colleagues and friends, and Gabbard was Figiel's mentor, according to local media reports.
Sinaviana-Gabbard was the aunt of Tulsi Gabbard and the sister of state Senator Mike Gabbard.
Her family says she was the first Samoan to become a full professor in the United States and was an accomplished writer, teacher and environmental activist.
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An aerial view of Main Beach Road in Apia, Samoa, 2021 during lockdown. Apia is about five miles from where Caroline Sinaviana-Gabbard died. (Chikara Yoshida/Getty Images)
Mike Gabbard said he was very close to his sister growing up and was proud of her accomplishments in life.
“Caroline was my best friend when I was a teenager,” Mike Gabbard said in a statement to Spectrum News.
“She helped me considerably during my rebellious teenage years. She got me hooked on reading, so much so that I followed in her footsteps and majored in English at Sonoma State University in California, then returned to our birthplace, American Samoa, where “He taught high school English and was a faculty member, guidance counselor and dean at the community college for many years.”
“I love her deeply and wish her the best as she continues her journey.”
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Samoa is a country located in the South Pacific Ocean. (Google Maps)
Mike Gabbard went on to say that he forgives the person responsible for his death, but hopes that justice is served and that the person “is punished to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to Spectrum News, Sinaviana-Gabbard earned a bachelor's degree in English and psychology from Sonoma State University, a master's degree in folklore from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Ph.D. in American studies from the University of Hawaii.
He taught Pacific literature at the University of Hawaii for more than 20 years before retiring.
