UPDATE: 4:40 p.m. UPDATE: 4:40 p.m. ADVERTISING Police have arrested 44-year-old Alexander Gambsky of Puna in connection with the murder of his wife. Gambsky was arrested at 4 p.m. Thursday in Kurtistown. ————— By JOHN BURNETT Tribune-Herald staff writer A
UPDATE: 4:40 p.m.
Police have arrested 44-year-old Alexander Gambsky of Puna in connection with the murder of his wife.
Gambsky was arrested at 4 p.m. Thursday in Kurtistown.
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By JOHN BURNETT
Tribune-Herald staff writer
A Hilo grand jury on Wednesday indicted a 44-year-old Puna man for the 2008 murder of his wife, the Tribune-Herald has learned.
Alexander Malani Gambsky of Orchidland Estates is charged with second-degree murder for the death of his 34-year-old wife, Dawn Mancilla Gambsky, county Prosecutor Mitch Roth confirmed this morning.
“When I took office, one of the things I said is we’re going to take a look at some of these cases,” Roth said. “After we did an extensive and thorough review of the evidence and re-interviewed pretty much all of the witnesses, we made the decision to go forward with this case.”
Roth said the recent investigation uncovered new details, but Roth declined to be more specific, saying, “We’re not going to try this case in the press.”
Roth told the Tribune-Herald that he would prosecute the case himself. Asked how confident he is in the case, Roth replied: “Very.”
Friends of the 34-year-old woman, who sold clothing for pets on the Internet, reported her missing in July 2008, telling police they hadn’t seen her for about six months. Her skeletal remains were found by police executing a search warrant on Aug. 8, 2008, in a shallow grave in the back yard of the home she shared with her husband on 37th Avenue.
An autopsy indicated the presence of traumatic injuries to the body, which was identified by dental records.
Court records state that police questioned Alexander Gambsky in July 2008 and administered a polygraph test. Detective Rio Amon-Wilkins wrote that Gambsky “was being deceptive (about having) knowledge of the condition and location of his wife.”
Alexander Gambsky reportedly told police on July 27, 2008, that his wife had left him and was no longer living at their home. He said he had last seen her in January 2008 and since then had only talked to her once. He said he had no means of contacting her and didn’t know where she was living. Gambsky was living with another woman at the Orchidland home at the time.
A bench warrant was issued Wednesday for Gambsky’s arrest, and his bail has been set at $1 million, Roth said.
“We do believe there are people out there that he’s spoken to,” Roth said. “If there’s anyone out there with information, we’d like them to contact the police.”
Anyone with information is urged to call police at 935-3311.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
