Thomas Gannon, suspect in artist Sabina Rosas' killing at Shou Sugi Ban House in Water Mill, found dead in Pennsylvania

A man suspected of killing a Brooklyn artist at a Southampton resort was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound Tuesday night at his home in Pennsylvania, Suffolk police said.

Thomas Gannon, 56, of Honesdale, Pennsylvania, was a suspect in the death of Sabina Rosas, 33, of Brooklyn, at the Shou Sugi Ban House in Water Mill, Suffolk police said, without commenting on how he was identified as a suspect.

Pennsylvania State Police could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

A family friend, Ryder Iwata, released a statement on behalf of the family Wednesday following news of Gannon's death. 

"This news has left our family with a mix of sorrow and frustration. While we are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life, we also feel a profound sense of injustice," the statement read. "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."

Liz Phillips, Rosas' former professor at Purchase College, said Rosas had been dating Gannon, who had been funding her art projects and travel and accompanying her.

Phillips said she met Gannon twice when the three shared dinners at the professor's home in Queens. 

"He was funding her travels in Tajikistan and all over Asia. Wherever she went, he kind of waited for her," Phillips said. "She said she was bored and wanted to end it. I warned her that he seemed like pure trouble and it wasn't going to end well because he was devoted to you."

Gannon had been a contractor and business owner who specialized in tile and flooring and worked on building castle-like structures in Pennsylvania. His former business partner, Matthew Dodson, said he bought him out of the company last year and lost touch with Gannon.

Rosas had been staying as an overnight guest at the Water Mill resort and spa when her body was discovered by a resort staff member. The spa, where rooms start at $1,000 a night, has not commented on the death and police would not comment on whether Gannon was staying there with her.

Born in Tajikistan, Rosas was also known as Sabina Khorramdel. She came to the United States in 2009 and graduated from Purchase College in 2020 with a bachelor's degree in new media, later displaying her art in New York City. 

Friends and family remembered her work as a talented artist, including sculptures, paintings and photography. Phillips said she was working on an art project about women in Central Asia.

Rosas co-founded an art site known as Ruyo Journal along with her sister, a graphic designer in Germany. An Instagram post for the journal Wednesday said she left a legacy celebrating the arts of Central Asia.

"Driven by her incredible energy and vision, Sabina moved walls so that gardens could flourish, inviting everyone seeking light. She shared everything she had and supported all of us," the post said.

With Maureen Mullarkey

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.