Suspect in murder at luxury Long Island resort found dead in apparent suicide

UZUN ISLAND – The suspect in the murder of a woman found dead at a luxury resort and spa in the Hamptons killed himself, police said.

Police say 56-year-old Thomas Gannon was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home at 19 Hidden Brooke Drive in Honesdale, Pennsylvania.

Police responded to the Shou Sugi Ban House, located at 337 Montauk Highway, around 12:30 a.m. Monday after a staff member found the woman, identified as Sabina Rosas, 33, of Brooklyn, dead in the room at the Water Mill resort.

Liz Phillips was shocked to hear of Rosa’s death.

“She was beautiful and talented,” he said. “He truly lit up a classroom like no other.”

Phillips shared these photos of Rosas, his mentee and former student at SUNY Purchase. In a phone conversation, he said that Sabina from Tajikistan uses the surname Khorramdel for her portfolio and told us that they were supposed to meet on Monday, but he never heard from her.

“I started calling him in the afternoon, when are you coming, what time, what’s going on,” he said.

Rosas has always enjoyed spas, Phillips says.

Fronted by a large Buddha statue, the Japanese-inspired wellness resort boasts relaxation and seclusion, not murder and mystery.

Longtime residents living nearby want to know who is responsible.

“We saw police lined up on Montauk Highway for most of the day, obviously a morgue truck pulled up,” Tom Pedrazzi said.

Murder is a talking point in the Hamptons. The area is almost never the center of a crime scene.

Suffolk County police did not speak on camera but said Rosas was the victim of violence and that this appeared to be an isolated incident. Attempts to reach Shou Sugi Ban House were unsuccessful.

“That’s his dilemma,” Pedrazzi said. “These people all want to have a good time, and sometimes it goes the wrong way.”

Authorities are not saying how Rosas died. The coroner is performing an autopsy.

Sabina’s family said in a statement: “We urge anyone with information about Sabina’s death to come forward and assist with ongoing investigations. Your support during this difficult time is a testament to how special Sabina is and will remain.” he said.

Detectives ask anyone with information to call Homicide at 631-852-6392 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.

FOX 5 NY’s Jodi Goldberg contributed to this report.