The tragic and shocking murder of Dr. Caroline Sinavaiana-Gabbard, a renowned poet and retired college professor who was also the aunt of former US Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, has captured the attention of both Samoan and international news outlets. Her accused murderer, Papalii Sia Figiel, is a celebrated Samoan author and prestigious playwright known for her prose poetry and award-winning debut novel, “Where We Once Belonged.” She also happens to be a close associate of the victim.
The gruesome crime took place on May 25th, when Sinavaiana-Gabbard was found dead in Figiel’s Vaivase-Uta home. According to local news reports, she had been beaten with a hammer and stabbed multiple times after an argument between the two women occurred within the premises of GaluMoana Theater – a local community theater that also doubles as Figiel’s residence.
After allegedly committing this brutal attack, Figiel fled to a friend’s house before eventually turning herself in to the police. Initially charged with manslaughter, her charges have now been upgraded to murder.
Despite the tragic nature of this crime, it appears that the motive behind Sinavaiana-Gabbard’s murder remains unclear, according to Samoan Police Commissioner Auapaau Logoitino Filipo.
Papalii Sia Figiel, who has attended school in both her native Samoa and New Zealand before completing her Bachelor of Arts at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington, is known for her accomplishments within the literary world. In 1994, she won top honors in the Polynesian Literary Competition, and in 1997, her debut novel earned her a Best First Book award in the South East Asia/South Pacific Region of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. She has also published two books of prose poetry – “Girl in the Moon Circle” (1996) and “Contemplation” (1998) – and her work is regularly translated into various foreign languages.
Figiel held residencies at prestigious institutions such as the Institucio de les Lletres Catalanes in Spain, the Pacific Writing Forum at the University of the South Pacific, the University of Technology, Sydney, and the East West Center-Center for Pacific Islands Studies at the University of Hawaii. Sinavaiana-Gabbard, on the other hand, taught creative writing at the University of Hawaii for nearly two decades and served as an associate professor of Pacific literature at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa.
Both women had been involved in the literary world, and their relationship was described as close. Many reports even described Sinavaiana-Gabbard as Figiel’s mentor.
However, a friend of the slain professor told The Samoa Observer that she had been a brilliant writer and a supporter of other writers, adding that “she was someone who did not deserve to die like that.” Sinavaiana-Gabbard was described as a private person despite her prominence within the literary world.
While details continue to emerge about this tragic case, it is clear that the close relationship between the two women has led to an emotional and impactful trial for both parties involved. Papalii Sia Figiel’s next court appearance is expected later this month, and the Samoan community awaits further developments in this case.
