The aunt of former Hawaiian congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard was found dead last weekend after she was reportedly stabbed and beaten with a hammer multiple times during a fight with her protégé in Samoa, Spectrum News reported Wednesday.
Dr. Caroline Sinaviana-Gabbard, 78, was found dead May 25 inside the home of award-winning Samoan playwright Papalii Sia Figiel on Vaivase-Uta.
After the brutal attack, Figel, 57, reportedly fled to a friend’s house, upon which she later turned herself in to the police. Police initially booked her on manslaughter charges last Sunday, but the charges were later upgraded to murder after an investigation.
“A hammer is alleged to have been used as well as a small knife that inflicted multiple stab wounds on the deceased,” Samoa Police Commissioner Auapaau Logoitino Filipo said, according to the New York Post. “We do not know what the motive is of the offending but from reports the incident occurred on Saturday and the suspect left the deceased at her home while she went out to Lotofaga and spent time with a friend.”
Sinavaiana-Gabbard was the older sister of Hawaii State Sen. Mike Gabbard, Tulsi Gabbard’s father.
Mike Gabbard gave a statement explaining how he was very close to his sister growing up and that he was proud of her.
