Figiel confessed to ‘something terrible’ before body found, Sāmoa court told

Sāmoa’s Supreme Court has heard testimony from retired doctor Amituanai Fuimaono Sisilia Alailima, who described how author Papalii Sia Figiel arrived unexpectedly at her Lotofaga home on the night of Saturday, 25 May 2024 and confessed the next morning that she had done "something terrible.”

The testimony, delivered during a judge-only trial in Apia, bridges earlier forensic evidence with Figiel's alleged actions in the hours after the death of her long-time friend and fellow cultural figure, Dr Caroline Sinavaiana-Gabbard, aged 76.

Amituanai, a distant relative of Figiel's, told the court that the writer appeared “not her usual vibrant self” when she arrived at her home. Noticing her exhaustion and distress, the doctor offered Figiel a place to stay for the night.

The following morning, as Amituanai and her husband prepared for church, Figiel asked to speak privately. The doctor testified that there was a change in the author's demeanour - from guarded to emotionally fragile.

“She looked up and said, ‘I need to tell you something.’ Then she said she had done something terrible.”

Fearing a risk of self-harm, the doctor asked Figiel if someone else was hurt. Figiel nodded and admitted her friend was inside her home at Vaivase-Uta, and no longer alive.

Papalii Sia Figiel drove to see Amituanai Dr Sisilia Alailima at Lotofaga, where she confessed to 'something terrible'. Photo/PMN

She refused to name the woman, saying she didn’t “deserve” to speak her name, but confirmed that the black car she had driven to Lotofaga belonged to the deceased.

According to Amituanai, Figiel explained that the victim had come for lunch, and a tense conversation escalated. The author described an overwhelming anger that “swelled up” until she blacked out. She admitted the victim had been injured with a hammer.

Amituanai testified that she drew on her medical and psychiatric training to keep Figiel calm, avoiding graphic details and focusing on the next steps: phoning relatives and steering her towards police custody.

Dr Caroline Gabbard and her brother David Gabbard. Photo/Fox16

Figiel allegedly told her she had considered suicide, including driving off a cliff, but ultimately wanted to surrender. The doctor responded with a firm appeal.

“To kill yourself is the easy way out. The hard thing is to go to the police. Do this for your friend. Her family deserves to know what happened.”

All calls to police were made on speakerphone so Figiel could hear the conversations. The doctor contacted Sāmoa Police’s Criminal Investigations Division, reporting that “the person might still be alive” at the Vaivase-Uta home and urging them to act quickly.

CID officers asked that Figiel be brought to their headquarters. Amituanai and her husband drove her across the island from Lotofaga to Police headquarters in Apia.

Shortly after their arrival at the station, an investigator called Amituanai to say that police officers were outside Figiel’s residence and asked for the keys to enter. Amituanai delivered the keys and waited outside. “I wanted to know if this story was even true,” she says.

The Galumoana Theatre at Vaivase-Uta. Photo/Samoa Observer

Moments later, police confirmed a body had been found inside. Amituanai returned to the station and gave a formal statement.

That night, police returned to Lotofaga to collect the black car that Figiel had driven across the island. During their visit, Amituanai discovered that the Police were still trying to confirm the family of the victim. She helped police reach Sinavaiana-Gabbard’s family to ensure they were officially notified.

Amituanai’s testimony follows earlier medical evidence from forensic pathologist Dr James Kalougivaki, appearing via video link from Fiji. He told the court that Sinaivaiana-Gabbard died from severe traumatic head injuries consistent with blunt force trauma from a hammer. He noted multiple skull fractures and defensive wounds on her arms.

Sāmoa’s Dr Sebastian Paulo confirmed that the body was in an advanced state of decomposition upon arrival at the national hospital morgue.

The case underscored ongoing concerns about Figiel's mental health. Her lawyer, Unasa Iuni Sapolu, had requested psychiatric assessments, which Papalii resisted. During the trial, she told the court, “the devil persuaded her” to commit the acts. She also declined name suppression.

Amituanai told the court she tried to persuade Figiel to authorise the release of mental health records and disclose past hospitalisations.

A documentary about Figiel was released earlier this year

Figiel remains in custody and faces five charges: murder, manslaughter, two counts of being armed with a dangerous weapon, and causing serious injuries. Her arrest in May 2024 has shocked the Sāmoan and Pacific literary communities.

Sinavaiana-Gabbard was the first Sāmoan to hold a full professorship in the United States and mentored generations of Pacific writers. Figiel is a globally recognised novelist and poet, credited with advancing Sāmoan literature for over three decades.

Their friendship, collaboration, and tragic rupture have reverberated across the Pacific and its diaspora.