By Lagi Keresoma/

Apia, Samoa – 23 August 2025: None of the key material items alleged to have been used in the murder of academic Sinavaiana Dr. Caroline Gabbard were provided as evidence in court during the trial this week.

The items were identified as a knife and hammer by the police witnesses Senior Seargant Ma’atusi Lelefu and Constable Steven Tonumaipea who were at the crime scene at Vaivase on Sunday 26 May 2024.

The officers gave evidence at the trial of prominent writer and poet Papalii Sia Figel accused of the murder.

The pathologist Dr. James Kalougaviki who conducted the postmortem on the deceased also mentioned a hammer in his evidence.

The missing evidence prompted presiding Judge Fepuleai Ameperosa Roma to question the prosecutor Taimalelagi Leinafo Strickland about the whereabouts of these items.

Taimalelagi apologised and told the court that the “chain of custody was disrupted or broken when Senior Sergeant Peniamina Perita died.”

According to the prosecutor, the late Peniamina who worked at the Criminal Investigation Division (CID), led the investigation into Papalii’s case.

The normal process of murders cases is that the weapon or items used to commit an offence are always brought as evidence to a trial then noted as exhibits in court.

However, none of the items were provided hence Justice Roma’s question.

Defence counsel Unasa Iuni Sapolu said the late Penimanina is a crucial witness to the case.

A senior police official told Talamua that there is a special place at the police headquarters in Apia where all evidence for court cases are kept.

He said the place was created specifically for the safekeeping of evidence after many cases were dismissed by the court because of the lack of physical evidence.

He said evidence had gone missing from the police station before, and he said the knife and hammer as evidence in the current case should be in that safe.

Papalii’s trial will resume on 11 September 2025 for the police last witness to give evidence.