Samoan novelist and poet Papalii Sia Figiel has pled not guilty to 6 charges against her.
She is charged with murder, armed with a dangerous weapon, manslaughter, grievous bodily harm, assault and actual bodily harm in connection with the death of academic and writer Dr. Caroline Sinavaiana Gabbard in late May at Vaivase-uta.
Talamua Online reports Figiel’s trial is scheduled for March 2025, but the matter will be recalled next Monday for the defense attorney, Unasa Iuni Sapolu, to file a bail application and to present an update on the mental assessment report of the defendant.
Figiel was initially charged with manslaughter, but after preliminary police investigations the charge was changed to murder.
“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,” said Police Commissioner Auapa’au Logoitino Filipo when the news broke.
He added, at the time that Figiel and her friend came to the station on Sunday morning to report the incident and when Police went to her Vaivase-uta home, the body of the deceased was there.
