Convicted Felon, Murderer Charged in Killing of Pregnant Woman Found in Rhode Island Pond: Police

Two men in Rhode Island have been arrested in connection with a pregnant Massachusetts woman found dead in a pond last year, according to authorities.

On Dec. 21, 2022, a fisherman discovered the body of 34-year-old Leila Duarte Da Luz in Carbuncle Pond in Coventry, WJAR reported. Investigators said she had “several lacerations to her head” and her death was considered suspicious.

The state medical examiner’s office conducted an autopsy and the following day confirmed the manner of death was homicide and the victim was pregnant.

On May 9, Rhode Island State Police announced Gary Gromkiewicz, 35, was charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Officials said he was the father of Da Luz’s unborn baby and was on probation for a 2015 felony assault with a deadly weapon conviction.

Police said Michael Lambert, 46, a “known associate” of Gromkiewicz, was also arrested and charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder. He was on parole for a 1995 murder conviction after killing a homeless man on Thanksgiving Day in 1994.

In a statement, Rhode Island State Police said, "The evidence collected required a massive amount of time and effort for investigators to analyze the technical data and physical evidence. But with this information, coupled with numerous witness interviews, detectives established the framework for the criminal charges brought forth today.”

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Gromkiewicz is being held at Rhode Island State Police headquarters pending his arraignment on May 10, officials said.

Lambert is being held at the Adult Correctional Institutions for parole violation and no details were released for his court date.