Thomas Gannon, a 56-year-old man who reportedly died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, is suspected of murdering the much younger and beloved New York City artist Sabina Rosas, 33.
Police said Wednesday that Rosas, originally from Tajikistan, was found dead at a posh Hamptons spa on Monday, while Gannon is believed to have shot himself 214 miles from the crime scene hours later. As per the late 33-year-old artist’s grief-stricken family, Rosas was the “eldest of three daughters” and was engaged to a different man. Nevertheless, the police determined that she and her suspected murderer were in a “domestic” relationship, per the New York Post.
Where is the murder investigation of NYC artist Sabina Rosas headed?
Brooklyn-based artist was found dead in a guest room at the luxury Shou Sugi Ban House in Water Mill on Monday. Authorities are still working out the details of the investigation, which has yet to reveal what the unlikely pair was doing at the swanky spa. Nonetheless, police have described Rosas as a “victim of violence.”
Records also show that Gannon, a father of one, owned Majestic Tile, Granite and Flooring in Honesdale. An online listing also states that the home where he died from a self-inflicted shot is listed for sale for $550,000. Gannon is also believed to have fled the $1,250-a-night luxury wellness resort, taking a taxi to his Pennsylvania house, according to the Daily Mail.
Her actual longtime partner speaks out
Meanwhile, Rosas’ family has been left grasping for answers that will be hard to come by in the wake of the murderer’s death by suicide. Fashion designer Ryder Iwata, Sabina Rosas’ longtime partner, recently opened up about the “miscarriage of justice” that has likely deprived her family and friends of answers.
“Unfortunately, it’s a total miscarriage of justice that the man who killed her kind of got out of it,” he told the Post in an interview. “It’s wicked and cowardly.” Iwata and Rosas, who met as students, intended to marry each other.
What was the relationship between Sabina Rosas and Thomas Gannon?
Iwata and Rosas, the “greatest love” of his life, have reportedly been together since they first met at Purchase College in 2016. Weighing in on police statements, the fashion designer said the reported “domestic” relationship between Rosas and Gannon wasn’t romantic. He claimed that his partner’s suspected killer was an art benefactor to her. Iwata’s singular meeting with him was brief, as he once moved furniture for Rosas. “I clocked that he was strange, and he turned out to be a psychopath,” Iwata added.
Despite Iwata’s description of their relationship, it remains unclear how deeply Rosas and Gannon’s lives were intertwined. Daily Mail labels the alleged murdered as the deceased artist’s “sugar daddy.”
“(Gannon’s) money suddenly became the control he would use to stay in her world and her orbit,” Iwata told the outlet while mentioning that the 50+-year-old man even paid for an apartment in Rosas’ Tajikistan. Despite the fashion designer and the artist’s almost decade-long relationship, he didn’t believe that Gannon knew about their engagement.
Meanwhile, the 33-year-old artist’s former mentor and professor at Purchase College, Liz Phillips, perceived that Gannon “supplied her with money” and “seemed to worship her imagination and various quests.” She described their relationship as romantic.
More about Sabina Rosas
According to several reports from CBS News, NBC New York and The East Hampton Star, Sabina Rosas also went by the last name Khorramdel. Her family identified her as their “beloved daughter, sister, fiancee and friend. She co-founded a Central Asia-focussed art magazine, Ruyo Journal. The artist-run publication announced her untimely death at 33 on Wednesday in an Instagram post.
“We are deeply heartbroken to share that our dear colleague and founder of RUYO Journal, Sabina Khorramdel, has left this world,” began the statement.
“Driven by her incredible energy and vision, Sabina moved walls so that gardens could flourish, inviting everyone seeking light. She shared everything she had and supported all of us.
“A beautiful soul and a gifted artist, she left an impactful legacy in the arts of Central Asia. The world feels empty without her.
“We love you, Sabina. Rest in peace.”
The post’s caption lists numerous options for supporting Sabina’s family in these trying times.
As per another revelation, Rosas was arrested in Miami last year for battery. Her mugshot captures her with a black eye.
