The longtime lover of a murdered New York City artist condemned the ‘cowardly’ way her alleged killer took his own life – robbing him of a chance at closure.
Fashion designer Ryder Iwata said his lover Sabina Rosas’ alleged killer Thomas Gannon, 56, may have forever left her loved ones with questions because he turned the weapon on himself.
‘It was such a cowardly thing he did, such a cop out,’ Iwata told DailyMail.com. ‘It is shrouded in mystery why Sabina is no longer with us.’
His words come after Rosas, 33, was found dead in the luxury Shou Sugi Ban House in the Hamptons on Monday. Gannon was also found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his home in Honesdale, Pennsylvania later that day.
Fashion designer Ryder Iwata said he has been left grieving the death of his lover Sabina Rosas and slammed the ‘cowardly’ suicide of her alleged killer
Sabina Rosas was found dead inside a bedroom at the Shou Sugi Ban House in Water Mill, Suffolk County, on Monday afternoon
Thomas Gannon, 56, (right) allegedly killed Sabina Rosas, 33, (left) at the spa before fleeing to his home in Pennsylvania, where he killed himself on Monday
After allegedly killing Rosas at the spa, Gannon is believed to have fled the $1,250-a-night hotel on Monday morning, taking a taxi to his property in Pennsylvania, around a four-hour drive from Long Island, before killing himself.
Although police say they are still investigating the tragic episode, Rosas’ family said in a statement after her death that Gannon’s suicide ‘has robbed us of the opportunity to find closure through the legal process.’
Iwata said he had been in a relationship with Rosas since they met as students at Purchase College in New York in 2016, and said they planned to get married as he described her as ‘my person.’
The exact nature of Rosas relationship with Gannon is unclear. Iwata said Gannon helped support her art career and even paid for an apartment in her native Tajikistan, but said Gannon would use this to ‘control’ her.
‘(Gannon’s) money suddenly became the control he would use to stay in her world and her orbit,’ he told DailyMail.com.
He added that he knew Sabina was in other relationships but they did not discuss it, and although he knew of Gannon’s existence he did not think Gannon knew she was engaged.
Sabina’s former mentor and professor at Purchase College, Liz Phillips, told DailyMail.com that she understood Gannon ‘supplied her with money’ and ‘seemed to worship her imagination and various quests’, and described their relationship as ‘romantic.’
Gannon was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home on Hidden Brooke Drive in Honesdale, Pennsylvania (pictured)
Staff discovered the body of Sabina Rosas, 33, inside a guest room at the Shou Sugi Ban House in Water Mill on Monday afternoon. Rosas, who was also known to use ‘Khorramdel’ as her second name, was arrested in Miami last year for battery and is seen with a black eye
Iwata described Gannon as ‘very odd’ and ‘socially inept’, and said Sabina’s entire demeanor would change around him.
He said Gannon would fund Sabina’s artistic efforts as a ‘muse’ of sorts, and said Gannon was ‘head over heels’ for her but was often ‘very possessive.’
Iwata said that he knew Gannon as an art benefactor to Rosas, and although they only met once he was left with a strange vibe from the alleged killer.
He said Gannon helped move a piece of furniture into Iwata’s Brooklyn apartment last year, and found his behavior to be ‘weird.’
‘Sabina didn’t want me talking to him,’ he continued. ‘She wasn’t acting like herself. She apologized for the weirdness and went back into the car… It felt bizarre to me.’
Rosas, who is known under another surname as Sabina Khorramdel, was arrested in Miami last year for battery and is seen with a black eye on her mugshots.
Suffolk County cops had indicated prior to naming the suspect that they believed Rosas’ murder was a domestic incident, however the exact nature of Rosas and Gannon’s relationship is under debate.
In a statement after hearing of Gannon’s death, Rosas family said the news ‘has left our family with a mix of sorrow and frustration.’
Iwata said he planned to marry Rosas and described her as ‘my person’
Staff discovered the woman’s body inside a guest room at the Shou Sugi Ban House in Water Mill on Monday afternoon
‘While we are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life, we also feel a profound sense of injustice,’ the family said.
‘Sabina deserves justice, and we were seeking accountability for her death. The loss of the suspect means we will never hear the truth about what happened to her. This outcome has robbed us of the opportunity to find closure through the legal process.
‘As we navigate this painful moment, we urge the world to remember Sabina for her who she was as a person, her spirit, the important work she did and the art that she created and brought life for us.
‘The fight for truth and justice continues in our hearts, and we will honor Sabina’s memory as we seek to ensure that her story is never forgotten.
‘Thank you for respecting our family’s privacy as we cope with this profound loss.’