Man Admitted To Killing NYC Artist Found Dead At Luxury Spa Before Killing Himself: Coroner

A man suspected of killing a 33-year-old artist who was found dead earlier this week at a luxury wellness resort in the Hamptons confessed to the crime moments before he fatally shot himself, a local coroner said.

Thomas Gannon, 56, was found dead inside his home in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday night with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to the report by the Wayne County Coroner’s Office released Wednesday. Gannon had been a suspect in the killing of a woman whose body had been found in Suffolk County, New York, on Monday.

Sabina Rosas, a New York City artist who also went by the name Sabina Khorramdel, was found dead at Shou Sugi Ban House in Water Mill, New York. The Suffolk County Police Department has not confirmed her cause of death, but told local media that police believe she was a “victim of violence.”

Gannon “confessed to committing the homicide immediately prior to taking his own life,” according to a press release from the Wayne County coroner’s office.

Edward Howell, the county coroner, told the Tri-County Independent, “I confirmed the confession by reading a message the decedent sent to a family member immediately prior to his death.”

Rosas co-founded Ruyo Journal, an online magazine which echoed in a statement on Thursday that her death was caused by violence. The magazine also addressed the attention Rosas’ killing has gained in recent days, with some media outlets speculating about the circumstances of her death and her relationship with Gannon.

“We want to make it clear that no family member or close friend of Sabina has spoken to any media outlets. Any information circulating from these sources is unverified and should not be trusted,” the magazine wrote.

Authorities have not confirmed the type of relationship between Gannon and Rosas, but the artist’s mentor, Elizabeth Phillips, told CBS News that Gannon supported Rosas financially.

“He was here for dinner twice … He had money, and he wanted to help her and he wanted to be with her all the time,” Phillips told CBS News. She said Gannon gave her the “creeps.”

In August, Rosas launched a GoFundMe to attend an artist residency in Portugal, to which Gannon donated $1,000. The fundraiser has since been deleted. According to her website, Rosas split her time between Tajikistan and New York. Her work included sound art, intuitive drawing and paintings.