Tulsi Gabbard remembers aunt after brutal murder that sent ‘shockwaves’: ‘I spent a lot of time with her as a kid’

Tulsi Gabbard has remembered her aunt, Caroline Sinaviana-Gabbard, in an emotional post days after her horrific murder. Tulsi said that the slaying has sent “shockwaves through our family.”

Famed Samoan author and playwright, 57-year-old Papalii Sia Figiel, was arrested after the murder of the 78-year-old retired former University of Hawaii professor. Reports claimed that Caroline was stabbed several times, and beaten with a hammer, on May 25, in Figiel’s home in the village of Vaivase-Uta, located three miles from Apia.

‘I spent a lot of time with her as a kid at her cottage’

“Thank you to all who have taken the time to send me warm messages of prayers and condolences in the wake of my aunt’s tragic murder in Samoa. I’m so grateful to be surrounded by your love and prayers. My aunt Caroline was my dad’s only sister, and the only relative of ours who lived in Hawaii when I was growing up,” Tulsi wrote on Instagram, alongside a few photos.

“I spent a lot of time with her as a kid at her cottage in the back of Manoa valley where she often shared her poetry with me, and encouraged me to pursue my own writing. The news of her horrific death sent shockwaves through our family. We miss her, cherish the happy memories we shared, and are keeping her in our prayers. Life is short. Hold close the ones you love, and make the most of every day we are blessed with life,” she added.

Figiel and Caroline had reportedly gotten into an argument before the murder, Samoan Police Commissioner Auapaau Logoitino Filipo said, but it is unclear what prompted the fight. The two were reportedly friends and colleagues, and Caroline was Figiel’s mentor too.

Caroline’s family said that she was the first Samoan to become a full professor in the United States. She was Hawaii state Sen. Mike Gabbard’s sister.