2 RI Men Get Life In Prison For Leaving Pregnant Woman To Die In Coventry Pond

COVENTRY, RI — Two Rhode Island men were sentenced Friday to life in state prison after prosecutors proved they killed a woman whose body was found in Carbuncle Pond in Coventry in 2022.

In January, a Rhode Island Superior Court jury found Gary Gromkiewicz, 37, of Lincoln, and Michael Lambert, 47, guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, in connection to the death of Leila Patricia Duarte Da Luz, 34, of Brockton, Massachusetts. Prosecutors said Gromkiewicz was the father of Da Luz’s unborn child.

"Today’s sentencing is a just conclusion to a truly devastating case," Attorney General Peter Nerona said. "Leila’s life ended under horrible circumstances, but her life is not defined by her death. As National Crime Victims’ Rights Week nears, we must all recommit ourselves to centering victims, including the families of victims, within our understanding of true justice. While nothing can bring Leila back to her loved ones, I hope that these life sentences bring them a sense of closure and peace."

During the trial, prosecutors proved that on Dec. 21, 2022, Gromkiewicz and Lambert viciously assaulted Da Luz and left her to drown in Carbuncle Pond.

Around 2:30 a.m., Gromkiewicz and Lambert drove to Brockton to pick up the victim at her home. The victim was Gromkiewicz’s ex-girlfriend and was pregnant at the time, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said they drove around Rhode Island throughout the morning, making numerous stops at gas stations and convenience stores. Many of those stops were captured on store security video.

Cell phone location data then tracked their travel to western Coventry, near Carbuncle Pond, where the victim’s body was later recovered, prosecutors said. According to the medical examiner’s report, the victim sustained blunt force trauma to the head. The medical examiner also found water in her lungs, indicating she was alive when she entered the water.

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