Sabina Rosas, the Brooklyn artist found murdered in a high-end Hamptons spa, was killed by a boyfriend who has now been found dead of suicide, according to a report Wednesday.
Rosas was staying at the posh Shou Sugi Ban House in Water Mill with the boyfriend, a police source told ABC7 New York.
That man was later seen leaving the spa alone. His body was found some time later, the victim of an apparent suicide, according to the station.
Before her death, Rosas was planning to travel to Portugal next month to attend her first art residency.
She had raised $1,520 for the trip, which she said in a GoFundMe post would coincide with her 33rd birthday.
“This experience will allow me to create new work in a beautiful, inspiring environment,” she wrote in the post, under her maiden name Sabina Khorramdel. “I’m about to birth something new and meaningful into the world.”
A spa employee found Rosas dead in a guest room about 12:30 p.m. Monday, Suffolk County Police said.
Her death was violent but Suffolk County police did not immediately disclose how she died. An autopsy will determine her cause of death.
On Wednesday, Rosas’ family put out a plea for anyone with information about the artist’s death to come forward.
“Your support during this challenging time is a testament to just how special Sabina was and will remain,” the family said in a statement. “As the eldest of three daughters, Sabina brought excitement, adventure, joy and love to our family. We are devastated by this senseless loss.”
Rosas was part of the 2021 Technology Immersion Program at Harvestworks, a nonprofit that assists artists creating work with technology. She received a scholarship from the organization that spring.
Rosas was forced to relocate to Turkmenistan at the age of 2 after civil war broke out in her home country, her bio on Harvestworks’ site says. Due to “dictatorial conditions,” she again fled, this time to Crimea, in 2000.
She made her way to the United States by herself when she was 17 to study art, obtaining an associates degree at BMCC CUNY while living in Forest Hills, Queens, then made her way to Westchester County to pursue a bachelor’s degree in new media at SUNY’s Purchase College, according to the site.
Shou Sugi Ban House, located on Montauk Highway, is described as a “private sanctuary and gated compound surrounded by evergreen trees and lush grasses.”